Moonrise
by allisondasher
Summary: Bella and Edward are in love, and ready for their final term of high school, still unaware of the threat Victoria poses in the future. For Bella, everything's finally coming together- and then her twin sister Hermione comes home. Hermione/Alice & Bella/Edward pairing
1. Prologue

**PROLOGUE:**

**Set during Eclipse and Post Deathly Hallows:**

**_Note: The time-lines have been fiddled with, so that Hermione and Bella are the same age (18)_**

Bella and Edward are in love, and ready for their final term of high school, still unaware of the threat Victoria poses in the future. For Bella, everything's finally coming together- and then her twin sister Hermione comes home.

After the War, Hermione wants a break from the Wizarding world, and decides to join her twin sister Bella in Forks. Bella has never told the Cullens about Hermione, but everything changes when Alice realises Hermione is her soul mate!

War has changed Hermione, and she has dark secrets, secrets that Bella refuses to share. It's only with a Battle looming on the horizon do Hermione and Bella reveal what Hermione really is- a witch

_[includes girlxgirl pairing]_

_Contains Bella/Edward Pairing and Hermione/Alice Pairing_

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or Twilight. I am only writing this for my amusement, and for others amusement. I am not writing this for a profit of any kind.**


	2. Chapter One: Bella's POV

**CHAPTER ONE:**

**Bella's POV:**

I closed my eyes and smiled, inhaling Edward's sweet scent as he cradled me in his arms. Out the window, the full moon shines high up in the sky, and as our lips met, in a soft, passionate embrace, I couldn't help remembering the first time I ever saw him...

_I sat at the end of a full table with several of Jessica's friends, who she introduced to me. I forgot all their names as soon as she spoke them. They seemed impressed by her bravery in speaking to me. The boy from English, Eric, waved at me from across the rom._

_It was there, sitting in the lunchroom, trying to make conversation with seven curious strangers, that I first saw them. They were sitting in the corner of the cafeteria, as far away from where I sat as possible in the long room. There were six of them. They weren't talking, and they weren't eating, though they each had a tray of untouched food in front of them. They weren't gawking at me, unlike most of the other students, so it was safe to stare at them without fear of meeting an excessively interested pair of eyes._

_In a way, they all looked so alike. Every one of them was chalky pale, and they all had very dark eyes, despite the range in hair tones. They also had dark shadows under those dark eyes- purplish, bruise-like shadows, as if they were recovering from broken noses, or many sleepless nights. But, at the same time, they didn't look anything alike, they were as different as night and day._

_The three girls were stunning. The tall one was statuesque. She had a beautiful figure, the kind you saw on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, the kind that made every girl around her take a hit on her self-esteem by just being in the same room. Her hair was golden, straight as corn silk, falling to the middle of her back. The other two girls were similar enough that I'd guess they were siblings. Both were pixielike, thin in the extreme, with small, delicate features. But while the shorter of the two had inky black hair, cropped short and pointing in every direction, the other twin had waist-length chestnut waves._

_Of the three boys, one was big- muscled like a serious weight lifter with dark curly hair. Another was taller, leaner, but still muscular, and honey blond. The last was lanky, less bulky, with untidy, bronze-colored hair. He was more boyish then the others, who looked like they could be in college._

_I couldn't tear my eyes away from them, their faces, so different, so similar, and all so devastatingly, inhumanly beautiful._

_The Jessica girl spoke up. "I see you've noticed the Cullens." She said, and the slightly mocking tone in her voice caused the blood to rush to my cheeks, and I tore my gaze away from them, and looked down at my hands, hiding my blush behind my long bangs._

_Jessica kept talking, much to my embarrassment. "They're gorgeous, but don't get your hopes up- they're all together." She spits out the word 'together' like it's poison, and I can't help my slight frown at her venomous tone._

_"What do you mean?" I ask, genuinely curious. Jessica launches straight into her speech._

_"They're all the adopted children of Doctor Cullen and his wife," she starts, "the two blondes are Rosalie and Jasper Hale, they're Mrs. Cullen's niece and nephew. After their parents died in a car accident, they came to live with her. The really big guy is Emmett McCarty and he's dating Rosalie. The girl next to Jasper is Bree Cullen, Doctor Cullen's niece, and she's dating Jasper. The hot guy sitting next to Bree is Edward, he's single but don't get your hopes up. Apparently, he's too good to date anyone! Next to Edward is Bree's twin sister Alice Cullen. She's a complete freak- she's a dyke!"_

_The girl with glasses gives Jessica a disapproving look. "Don't call Alice a dyke, Jess." She snaps, in a cross voice. Jessica rolls her eyes._

_"Geez, Angela, are you hot for her, or something?" She snaps, and the glasses girl, Angela, flushes angrily. I distant myself from their talking, and I can't help but turn to look at the Cullens, to just sneak another peak at them, and the bronze-haired boy looked up to meet my gaze, curiosity then wonder evident in his obsidian gaze. For a few seconds I basically gawked at him, and then his lips curved into a soft smile. I smiled back, dazed, before turning back to my table, head ducked down, cheeks bright red._

"What are you thinking about, love?" Edward murmured into my throat, in his captivating voice.

"The first time I ever saw you." I answer, blushing slightly. He chuckles, softly, and kisses my throat, with icy lips.

"I remember it vividly. The second I looked into your eyes my whole world came undone," he whispered, "I knew you were the one for me, my soul-mate, my other half. And no matter how hard I tried to stop myself, no matter how hard I tried to hate you, I couldn't help but love you and need you, with every iota of my being, because you were my mate."

Mates... the first time Edward had said that word, in Volterra, in front of the Volturi, I hadn't realized what it meant. He'd then explained it to me, after, on the plane. He told me about how on this earth, all vampires have their one true soul-mate, and that they recognize their mates when they first look into their eyes. Knowing Edward was my soul-mate, in a very literal sense, took my breath away, and made me cry.

Edward kissed me, gently, passionately, until a soft tapping on the window made us break away. I felt a brief jolt of panic rush through me, as I heard the hoot of an owl. "Stay there." I told Edward, as I untangled myself from my blankets, and scrambled to my feet. I opened the window, but refused to let the sooty grey owl in. "Shoo!" I told it, loudly, even as I grabbed the scroll of parchment from its foot and stuffed it down the front of my shirt. The owl, Enoch- my sister's owl, gave an angry squawk and clicked his beak at me, not appreciating me not even offering him a snack, before he spread his wings and soared away.

I shut the window and turned to give Edward a sheepish look, seeing the curiosity coloring his face. "That owl's been bothering me," I lie, quite convincingly, through my teeth. "It keeps flying into my window. I'm trying to teach it who's boss." Edward chuckles, rolling his golden, butterscotch eyes.

"Only you, Bella, only you." He says. Oh, if only you knew... I can't help but think, avidly aware of the small roll of parchment, hidden in my bra.

"The human needs the loo," I smile at my boyfriend, blowing him a kiss, before hurrying over to the bathroom.

I shut the door, not bothering to lock it, knowing that Charlie will be fast asleep and Edward is far too much of a gentleman to waltz in while I'm 'going to the bathroom'. I sit on the toilet and pull the scroll out of my bra, unfurling the yellowing parchment that the Wizarding world is so fond of.

**_Dear Bella and Charlie_**_, _my sister's neat script reads,

**_The War is over and the Light won, Harry beat Him! Remember when I wrote to you about how I erased Jeanne and Harold Granger's memories of me? Well, I tried undoing the spell but it didn't work, so I don't have anywhere to live. I was wondering if I could come and stay with you guys for a little while. I'd like to complete at least a term of muggle high school, and I'd love to complete it at Forks High. I need a break from the Wizarding World right now, and I want to see my sister and my dad. Unless you send a reply with Enoch saying I can't stay, I'll be there in a two days._**

**_Love you both!_**

**_Xoxo_**

**_Hermione_**

I can barely hold back my shriek of delight- and for several reasons. First, Hermione's alive! The War is over, and Hermione's alive! The second- the war that Hermione spent so long crying over is finally over! Third, Hermione's coming to stay with _us_, not her evil adoptive parents!

You see, when Renee gave birth to Hermione and I, she was only expecting one daughter, and planned to give the daughter up for adoption- everything was all worked out. But when two of us were born, new age hippy Renee took it as a sign that she was meant to have a daughter, and while Swan Baby One became Hermione Granger, Swan Baby Two stayed a Swan- Isabella Swan. Me.

I didn't know I had a sister until I was eight, and Hermione tracked us down. She wanted to meet her biological parents and twin sister. We weren't identical (for example, where I got Renee's straight hair, Hermione got Charlie's wild, frizzy curls) but we were very clearly sisters. I saw Hermione whenever I could after that, I was always at her house or she was always at mine. Finding out Hermione was a witch was shocking- at first I was kind of jealous, but when Hermione wrote about how horribly she was teased for being a muggle born, and about the War with Voldemort, I couldn't help but feel... well, glad.

I never liked the Grangers- they were workaholics, and never seemed to have any time for Hermione. I know it hurts her feelings, even if I can barely ever get her to admit it. Hermione only ever told Harry about me, knowing that it would be safer for me, Charlie and Renee if the Wizarding World didn't know we existed. But she always wrote to me, every day, and stayed with me over most of her holidays, up until three years ago, when Voldemort came back, and she had to keep her distance from us, for our own safety. But now my sister was back! And she was coming here!

Charlie would be overjoyed- he loved Hermione, and was furious with Renee for not telling him about her. Renee had given Hermione up for adoption, and never told Charlie that she'd had twins. He knew about me, but Renee barely let him see me anyway, as the divorce was quite fresh. He actually had to threaten to take her to court if she wouldn't let him see me.

A soft knock on the bathroom door makes me jump. "Are you okay in there, Bella?" Edward calls out. I clutch my frantically beating heart.

"God, Edward!" I say, just loud enough for him to hear, "give me a heart attack, why don't you?" He chuckles.

"Just checking. You were taking a while in there, and knowing you it was entirely possible you tripped over and knocked yourself out." I grumble under my breath as I flush the toilet, and hide Hermione's letter under the sink, before washing my hands.

It was Hermione who told me what Edward was- I wrote to her, telling her about the pale skin, super speed, golden eyes, etc. and she wrote back almost instantly saying they were vampires, animal drinkers if they had golden eyes, human drinkers if they had red eyes, and to be very careful.

As I stepped out of the bathroom and made my way back to my bedroom, I wondered how I was going to break the news to Edward. Not that she was a witch- that was her secret to tell, and I knew that unlike vampires who just had the Volturi, the Wizarding world had its own ministry and a crap-load of rules, the biggest one being (besides not murdering people, and that sort of common sense illegal stuff) the Statute of Secrecy.

No, what I was wondering how to break was the news of Hermione's actual existence- I'd never told Edward about her, ever. I slip back under my duvet, and Edward wraps his arms back around me. I turn so that he's spooning me, and chew on my lip, thoughtfully.

"Edward, I have... news." I tell him. He stiffens slightly, unnerved by my tone.

"What's the matter?" He asks. I let out a sigh.

"I have a secret." I admit, turning back around so I'm facing him. "A really big one. I kind of have a, um... I have a sister." Edward's eyes widen with shock, and he opens his mouth, but I keep talking before he can start asking questions, "her name is Hermione, and she's my twin. Renee gave her up for adoption when we were born, and I didn't even know she existed until I was eight and I first met her. She's my best friend, and she's coming to live here, with me and Charlie."

Edward blinks at me, as I finally take a break to breath. "You have a sister?" He says, slowly, before his expression becomes hurt. "Why did you never tell me?" I scan my brain for a lie, a convincing one.

"It's a complicated situation," I say, finally. Lies mixed with truth, I decide, is the way to go. "She moved to Britain eight years ago and I haven't seen her face-to-face in almost three years. I don't like talking about her, because it hurts." I finish, softly, looking down, "it hurts because I miss her every day, and it hurts because it reminds me of Renee's betrayal. I still don't understand how she could just give away my sister! How she could rob me of Hermione! If 'Mione hadn't gone looking for us, I would never have known she existed, would never have known her. She's my best friend in the entire world." My voice rises near the end, verging slightly on hysterical. Edward hugs me, gently.

"I'm so sorry, Bella," he says, kissing the top of my head, "I don't understand why you didn't tell me about her, but I'm not angry."

"I told her about you." I whisper, looking away from him- it's easier to lie when I'm not looking him in the eye. Beside me, I can feel him stiffen again. Technically, Hermione told me about him, but that's not what he needs to know. "Back when I was trying to figure out what you were, we emailed about it. I told her when I figured it out."

Edward lets out a slow breath. I peek at his face, and I'm relieved to see that he doesn't look angry. "I'm sorry." I tell him. He gives me that crooked smile I love so much.

"You don't have to be sorry about anything." He tells me, sternly, kissing my nose with his icy lips. I giggle, and tilt my head up so that I can kiss his lips.

"I do. And I love you." I tell him, between kisses.

"I love you too." He replies.

**A/N: hi anyone reading this! Just wanted to mention a few things- first, I want to say that flashbacks like the one Bella had at the start of the chapter will rarely, if ever, appear again. I just wanted to introduce Bree as Jasper's mate. Also, the next chapter is going to be Hermione's POV, and they'll alternate throughout the book. Thanks and enjoy! **


	3. Chapter Two: Hermione's POV

**CHAPTER TWO:**

**Hermione's POV:**

I took in my ragged appearance, from the dirty tank top and ripped jeans, to my wild, greasy chestnut curls and the dark purple circles under my eyes. My lips twitch into a tired smile, as a thought strikes me- the rings under my eyes could probably give Bella's vampire boyfriend a run for his money. I turn away from the mirror, and run my gaze over the small room I'm standing in.

The Leakey Cauldron is a simple place, and my small room has a double bed, matchbox bathroom, full-length mirror and inbuilt cupboard- nothing but the bare necessities. In one corner of the room my trunk is leaning haphazardly against the wall, and an assortment of books and parchment is scattered across the floor.

It feels like its been weeks since I've slept. Every time I close my eyes, all I can see is green light flashing under my eyelids, and gaunt, skull-like faces, with twisted grins, dancing along my vision. I wake up screaming, coated in sweat, clutching my left forearm, my fingers tracing the knotted scars spelling _MUDBLOOD_.

A single tear streaks down my cheek, and I take a few deep breaths, before crossing over to the bathroom. The shower turns on the second I open the door, automatically setting itself to the perfect temperature. I set my wand down on the sink and shrug out of my dirty clothes, stepping under the warm spray of water.

I concentrate on washing my hair in particular, wanting to get out all the grease. My latest distraction, these past few weeks, has been studying the year twelve muggle curriculum. I'd easily say I was up to speed in all the subjects, but I needed to make sure, as the Hogwarts curriculum is decidedly different from your average American high-school curriculum. I've been so caught up in studying and making sure I'll be up to date in all the classes, that I haven't washed for several days, haven't even left my room for even longer.

I step out of the shower, the water automatically turning off, and dry myself with a tap of my wand, and unknot my hair with a single swish. I dress in the clothes I set out for myself last night, muggle clothes that I know will fit in- jeans, halter-top, button-up coat and ankle boots. My hair, now grease-free, hangs down my back in neat curls.

I wave my wand, packing up the parchment and books, sending them into my trusty beaded handbag. Another few flicks of my wand, and I'm completely packed. I hitch my beaded bag over my shoulder, and grasp my trunk firmly with my left hand, and my wand with my right. Intercontinental apparation was tricky, to say the least. I pictured the alleyway off the bus-stop in Port Angeles, Washington, and spun to the left.

The familiar, unpleasant feeling of being squeezed through a straw was about ten times worse then usual, apparating to a different country, and when I appeared in the alley, I ended up vomiting. Gasping for breath, I vanished the vomit and slid my wand up my sleeve.

I exited the empty alleyway, and crossed over to the bus stop, where I got a few odd looks thanks to my large trunk. The bus headed to Forks pulled up, and I paid my fare, wishing I could have just apparated to Forks, but Bella wrote she'd pick me up from the bus stop. The bus ride was nearly forty-five minutes, and with the way the other passengers were staring at me, I could have sworn I'd left my witch's hat on, or grown a second head, or something along those lines. I remember Bella writing to me about how everyone kept staring at her when she first arrived. It took a lot of strength not to cast a discrete notice-me-not charm.

I spotted Bella and Charlie waiting at the bus stop, with Charlie's trusty police cruiser. Bella was beaming, and she started jumping up and down, waving, when she caught my eye. I couldn't help my own smile, and I was one of the first off. Bella instantly yanked me into a tight hug, squeezing me hard enough to break all my ribs. "Can't... breathe!" I choked, and she released me, with a sheepish smile.

"I've missed you so much 'Mione!" she mumbled. Tears prick at my eyes.

"I've missed you too, sis."

Bella's grown just about the same as me, I note- we're both 5'4". She's also grown out her hair, and it reaches past her mid-back now. I wouldn't be able to manage my crazy hair if I grew it that long- mine is staying at the safe length of just past my shoulder blades. Her sense of style has definitely improved- though, from her letters, I'd guess it's the "Alice" vampire's doing. She's wearing a stylish pair of cargo jeans, and a tight black knit sweater.

"Nice to see you Hermione." Charlie greets me, and we hug.

"It's nice to see you again too, Charlie." I tell him. Bella goes to grab my trunk, but I beat her to it, and shoot her a smug smile. She pouts.

"So, how was the flight?" Charlie asks. Right, I 'caught a plane'. Charlie doesn't know I'm a witch, only Bella does. My parents did, but now their memories are fried, apparently beyond repair.

"It was long." I tell Charlie, with a slight shrug. He helps me haul my trunk into the cruiser's trunk, and I slide into the backseat, next to Bella.

"I can't wait to introduce you to everyone!" Bella gushes, "Edward's coming over so I can introduce you to him, and tomorrow Esme's invited us over for lunch so you can finally meet the other Cullens and then I'm taking you down to La Push to meet Jacob tonight for dinner!" I notice Charlie grinding his teeth, slightly, at the mention of the Cullens, and a brief wave of anger washes over me as I think of the reason for the anger- the Cullens disappearing on Bella. I wish that they hadn't disappeared while I was on the run with Harry and Ron. Bella couldn't write to me about it, and I didn't find out until much later. I hadn't been able to be there for her. Hadn't been able to comfort her. To help her.

Bella reaches across and squeezes my hand, smiling warmly at me. "You'll love them, Hermione!" Will I? I wonder, or will they just be a reminder of the magical world I'm trying to leave behind, right now?

The cruiser pulls up in front of a small house with white wooden siding. It's a nice house, nothing like the massive brick manor my 'parents' owned in England, but in a way, so much nicer- more home-y.

Bella helps me lift the trunk out of the car, and this time wrestles the handle away from me, and wheels it, triumphantly, up to the house. Charlie rolls his eyes, affectionately, at his daughter. I hitch my beaded handbag over my shoulder, smiling after my sister.

The inside of the house was nice, but simple, and Bella led the way to the room that was to be mine. She pushed open the door, and waved her hand about. "Ta-da!" She announced, grinning. It was a nice room, with a wooden floor, light yellow walls, a peaked ceiling, red laced curtains around the window, and a twin-sized bed with red and gold bedding... I rolled my eyes at Bella, looking at the posters of lions hung up on the wall, and noting the distinct red and gold theme.

"Of course." I said, rolling my eyes.

"She insisted on the color scheme." Charlie said, from behind us.

"Of course she did." I can't help but laugh, rolling my eyes. Bella looks smug.

"We'll give you some time to unpack," Charlie suggests, before giving me a light hug and a kiss on the cheek. "It's really good to have both my girls here." He says.

Bella gives me a hug too. "Love you, 'Mi." She says, before adding in a much lower voice, "if you need to talk about anything, I'm here. Remember that!" I nod, and then she also leaves, shutting the door gently behind her.

I gaze around the room, noting the oak wardrobe and desk, and the strings of lights hung about the walls. Bella really went all-out with this. Maybe the interior designer veggie vamp helped her? I muse.

The only vampire I've ever met was Sanguini, at Slughorn's Christmas Party. Sanguini's gleaming red eyes and icy skin haunted my dreams for weeks after that. Sanguini was a human-drinker, a nomadic vampire and one of the only who knew about the Wizarding world. He was smart enough to know that despite their speed and their strength, vampires were no match for a witch or wizard, and offered his services as a sort of representative for vampires.

I unpack the muggle way, after setting several anti-vampire wards on my window and doorway- Bella told me about her boyfriend's late-night visits and I have no intention of going to sleep with a vampire able to get to me. No vampire will be able to get into this room uninvited- actually, it was this spell that started the muggle myth that vampires can't cross a threshold unless a homeowner invites them in.

After unpacking all my muggle things, I lock my trunk containing all my Magical things, besides my wand of course, and ward it so that, again, vampires can't break into it. The beaded handbag undergoes similar charms, including one that will make Charlie urgently remember he has to do something or rather, if he picks it up to look in it.

Finally finished unpacking, I consider taking down the lion posters, but end up leaving them up. Bella knocks on my door, and my skin prickles all over as the wards pick up the creature with her- vampire. Her boyfriend's here. "Yeah?" I call out.

"Hey 'Mione, can I come in? Edward's here!" She yells. I cross over to the door and open it, my face set in a neutral expression.

"Come in." I say, inviting the vampire in so that he's allowed to cross into my room, whether he consciously knows it or not.

Bella chews on her lip nervously, a habit we both have, as Edward and I give each other a once-over. Bella's letters gushing over his good looks really didn't do him justice- no words could. That's just the way it was with vampires.

He had perfect and angular facial features, with his high cheekbones, strong jaw line, perfect eyebrows, straight nose and full lips. His untidy hair was an unusual bronze shade and his eyes were a gleaming topaz. I'd probably be attracted to him if I didn't know just how in love Bella was with him, and the fact I didn't swing that way, if you catch my drift.

I wonder what he saw when he looked at me? A girl very similar to Bella in appearance, surely, though with skin was a slight shade tanner then hers. My long mane of brown curls framed the same narrow, heart-shaped face Bella and I shared, with the high cheekbones, pointy jaw, disproportionate lips and big, brown eyes. Does he see past our immediate similarities? Does he see how my eyes are sunk into my skull, and the deep purple rings barely covered by concealer? What about how much thinner I am then my twin, the result of the stress and poor diet involved in being on the run? Because these are all differences I've noted.

"Hello Hermione, I'm Edward." He introduces himself, politely. He holds out a hand and I shake it, being careful not to flinch as I touch his icy skin, the exact same temperature as Sanguini's. I'm vividly aware of the wand in my sleeve, and I wonder if this turns ugly I'll be able to pull it out in time.

It's not going to turn ugly, I snap to myself. For Bella, Hermione! You're doing this for Bella! "Nice to meet you." I say, keeping my voice carefully polite. Bella's lips are twitching, and I throw her a mock-glare. "What's so funny, Bells?" I ask her.

"You two," she answers, a broad smile on her face, "you're both being so careful to be polite- it's hilarious to watch." I roll my eyes at her.

"This is the thanks I get for being supportive of you having a vampire boyfriend?" I demand, playfully. Edward seems to stiffen slightly behind me, and then I feel something that stops me dead in my tracks- a brushing against my Occlumency shields. I react on pure reflex, borne from being trained as a soldier.

I spin around, eyes flashing with fury. "Stay out of my head!" I snarl, slamming down extra shields with enough force that Edward actually stumbles back, hands clamped to his head. I'm ready to dive into his head, to see how he likes it, when Bella grabs my hand and spins me back around to face her.

"'Mi, he can't control it," she soothes me. I take a few deep breaths. I think she did mention that once...

"Okay, okay, I remember. You wrote that once." I mutter.

The last time someone tried to invade my mind... I shudder and my right hand strays to my left forearm, my fingers running over the knotted scars, hidden under my coat. "You okay?" Bella asks me, gently, and I sigh.

"Just... thinking."

Bella and I sit on my bed while Edward sits on my desk chair. I'm extremely aware of the vampire's every move, even as I listen to Bella chat away, answering her questions when needed to.

"Where's Enoch?" she asks, suddenly, and I blink, and then smile.

"I didn't think Charlie would take too kindly to having Enoch in the house," I say, dryly, "I lent him to Ginny- she's going back to our boarding school, and I thought he might come in handy for her."

"Where did you go to boarding school?" Edward asks.

"In Scotland." I answer, keeping vague.

"And, um, who's Enoch?" he asks.

"My pet rat." I lie, flawlessly, before throwing Bella a smirk.

"And where's Crookshanks?" Bella then questions, before adding, "her cat," upon seeing her boyfriend's questioning look. I close my eyes and sigh.

"Dead." My voice is flat.

"Oh." Bella says, her voice soft. "I'm sorry." I sigh.

"Not your fault."

Bella leans over and wraps her arms around me, and I rest my head against her shoulder.


	4. Chapter Three: Bella's POV

**CHAPTER THREE:**

**Bella's POV:**

I hugged Hermione, tight, and she rests her head against my shoulder. I can feel how tense she is, and I rub soothing circles on her back. She looks so different, since the last time I saw her. I mean, she looked worried, but her cheeks were rosy, and her eyes sparkled. This Hermione... this Hermione is haunted. Her eyes, they're so blank, and her body looks so much more... Thin. Unhealthy. Pale. And she keeps touching her left forearm, rubbing her fingers against the hidden skin.

Edward and Hermione seem very wary of each other, and I can tell Hermione is doing everything she can to not come across as hostile. And I'm proud of her, but I'm also upset- I want her to know that she can talk to me! She's doing an okay job of hiding it, but she's a mess. What happened in the War that's changed her so much!

Hermione speaks up. "I think I might have a quick nap. I'm kinda jet-lagged." She says quietly, clearly dismissing us. Requesting that we leave. I hug her, gently, then grasp Edward's hand and pull him away.

"See you later 'Mione." I smile, and I tug my boyfriend out of her room. Edward is massaging his temples, a pained expression on his face. "Are you alright?" I ask him, softly.

"Yeah. I think she gave me a headache." He says, mouth twitching into a crooked smile. I laugh.

"She's got much more control of her mental shield then I do." I smile. He raises an eyebrow, ruefully.

"Tell me about it."

I lead him into my bedroom and lay back on the bed, tugging him on top of me. His cool, marble skin brushes against my flushed skin, and our lips join. Passion, sweet passion, ignites fires of desire inside me. His cool, sweet breath makes me hunger for more. He breaks away all too soon, as usual, and I pout. He laughs, softly, and kisses my nose.

"I'll see you later, 'kay?" I say and he sighs, clearly unhappy about me going to visit the wolves.

"Be safe, Bella. Promise me." He says, voice serious. I peck his nose, and tousle his hair, rolling my eyes.

"Of course I'm going to be safe." I sigh, before accompanying him downstairs, to let him out the door, while Charlie pretends not to be watching us like a hawk. "I love you."

"I love you too."

At a quarter to seven, I go knock on Hermione's bedroom door, and she opens it, rubbing her eyes. "Dinner time?" She yawns.

"Yep, we're going over to the rez." I tell her, a bounce in my step. I haven't seen Jake for a few days, thanks to Edward's over protectiveness, and I'm excited to see my best friend.

"Off to feast with the shifters." Hermione says, rolling her eyes.

My lips twitch in amusement- I wonder how the Pack would react if they knew they weren't actually werewolves. Hermione told me what a real werewolf looked like, and the La Push wolves definitely were not.

Hermione pulls on her coat, laces up her shoes, and follows me down to where Charlie is waiting, looking even more excited then me. "Let's go!" He says, rubbing his stomach in anticipation. I can't help but laugh as we follow him out to his cruiser. Hermione is quiet, next to me, and I reach across and grab her hand, squeezing it.

The drive to the rez consists of Charlie singing along to the radio, and 'Mi and I wincing every time he hit a note off-key. When the cruiser pulled up outside Jake's house, I just about tripped out of the car in my eagerness. Jake bounded out of the house and met me halfway, scooping me up into his arms and spinning me around. I laugh, and soak in his searing heat, resting my cheek against his chest. "I missed you." I tell him.

He smiles, and wrinkles his nose slightly. "I miss you too, even though you stink." He teases. I roll my eyes, and then he freezes, seeing Hermione step out of the car. "Who... who is that?" He gasps, shocked.

"Right," I mumble, "er Jake, this is my twin sister. Hermione."

Hermione's smile for Jake is warmer then the one she gave Edward, and she holds out her hand. Jake is frozen, gaping at her, and she rolls her eyes. "Maybe you should explain before he has a heart attack." She tells me, dryly, her thick British accent rolling over us.

"Right," I say, sheepishly. "Um Jake, I was actually a twin when I was born, but Renee gave Hermione up for adoption." I explain, "her adoptive parents... well they...

I pause, not sure how to explain- Hermione erased their memories of her to protect them from an evil mass-murdering wizard who wanted her dead, and temporarily took over Wizarding Britain... well, I can't exactly see that explanation going down too well. Hermione cuts in, smoothly. "They passed away." She says, voice soft, looking down at her hands. I can see the tears sparkling in her eyes, and a surge of upset goes through me. I may not have liked the Grangers, but...they were her parents, and she loved them. And now, to her, they were as good as dead. Yes, they were breathing, but they didn't know her. She was a stranger to them.

"Yes, they were in an accident." I say, when Hermione doesn't say anything else, just stares at her hands, fighting back tears- she doesn't like showing what she perceives as 'weakness' in public. "Before Hermione moved to Britain, we were quite close." I continue the story, "so after the accident, the courts decided to award custody to Charlie."

Jake finally manages to close his jaw, even as he stares wide-eyed at Hermione. "Okay, wow. Just... wow." He mumbles, shaking his head, as if clearing water out of his ears. I laugh, and he finally reaches out a hand to shake Hermione's. Hermione doesn't even startle at the warm temperature, like most people. "Oh, yeah, she kinda knows." I add. Jake goes wide-eyed, and stares at Hermione anxiously.

"She knows... everything?" he asks, carefully. Hermione snorts.

"How do you think Bella figured it out?" she asked, dryly. "She's terrible at riddles and puzzles of any kind." I pout, and they both laugh at my face.

"You're not freaked out?" he asks, cautiously. Hermione just shrugs.

"I've seen stranger things." She says, dryly. Jake relaxes, even as his eyes light up in curiosity at her words- what's stranger then a guy exploding into a wolf? I can basically hear him think.

"Shall get going?" Charlie asks, meandering back over to us, Billy by his side in the wheelchair. Billy stares at Hermione, I don't think he can help it, but Charlie must have given him the fake-story, because he just smiles at Hermione.

"I'm Billy." He introduces himself. She smiles back.

"Hermione, though I'm guessing you know that now." He chuckles.

"So where are we going?" Hermione asks me, as I follow Jake over to his Rabbit.

"Emily's house." I tell her, "there's a bonfire." I add. Hermione's eyes light up with memories, and I'm glad I managed to cheer her up.

Hermione and I squish up next to each other on the passenger seat, Hermione mostly on my lap, much to both of our amusement, and Charlie groans and closes his eyes. "I saw nothing, I saw nothing, you definitely aren't breaking the law." He mutters, turning away. I laugh at my cop father's antics.

Jake starts the engine, and drives a few miles over the speed limit through the rez. Hermione stares out the window, even as the fingers on her right hand find her left forearm, absently rubbing the skin underneath. It reminds me of the way I rub my bite-mark from James when I'm stressed.

"So, you lived in England?" Jake asks Hermione, eying her in the rearview mirror. Hermione tears herself out of her memories, and turns to face him.

"Yes, but I went to boarding school in Scotland." She tells him.

"Really? What school?" He asks, and she grins.

"The Maccallion Academy." she lies, smoothly, as we pull up outside Emily's house.

I've always liked Emily's house- it's a tiny place, with a wall that had once been gray. There was only one narrow window beside the weathered blue door, but the window box under it was filled with bright orange and yellow marigolds, giving the whole place a cheerful look. It screamed Emily.

An extremely beautiful young woman, with exotic good looks, glossy black hair and satiny copper skin stepped out and waved at the car, a bright smile on her face, permanently scarred from hairline to chin by three thick, red lines, vivid in color though they were long healed. Hermione didn't even flinch as she stepped out of the car and walked.

"Hi Bel..." Emily went to greet her, before I stepped out of the car too, and her eyes widened comically. "Oh." She said, staring at Hermione, wide-eyed. "Oh."

"I'm Hermione," Hermione introduced herself, holding out her hand. Emily was startled into motion, and a light blush covered her cheeks.

"Um, I'm Emily." She said, almost shyly.

"Hey Em!" Jake greeted her, bounding over to greet her.

"Um... can I... ask... how?" Emily half-stammered, still gazing wide-eyed at Hermione.

"Of course, but is it okay if we tell you when everyone's here? You know, so we only have to say it once?" Hermione asked, and Emily nodded.

"O-of course!" She said, before she opened her front door, ushering us inside, as the cruiser pulled up with Charlie and Billy.

Hermione walked with a quiet confidence next to me, not seeming bothered by the wide-eyed stares she received as we walked into the backyard, were all the La Push shifters were crammed around a bon fire. Her fingers drifted near her pocket, I noticed, and I held back a grin, confident that her wand was hidden in her pocket.

Sam stood up, and stepped towards us, curiosity and a slight hostility clear on his face. "I'm Sam Uley," he introduced himself, in his deep voice. "Who are you?"

"Hermione Granger-Swan." Hermione introduced herself, smoothly, and my heart skipped a bit as she added a hyphened 'Swan' to the end of her name.

"She's my twin sister." I explain to Sam, awkwardly, knowing all the wolves are listening. "It's a long story, but she was given up for adoption when we were born, and we didn't meet each other until we were eight. And then eight years ago, Hermione and her adoptive parents moved to England, but... well, her parents just died." I lowered my voice, as I say the last bit, and I can basically feel Hermione bristling at the sympathy in everyone's gaze. "Charlie was awarded custody," I finish the story.

Sam looks less hostile now, and a lot more relaxed- wonder how relaxed he's going to be when he figures out Hermione knows the secret... "It's nice to meet you Hermione." He says, a small smile on his face. Hermione smiles back.

"Yes, it's nice to meet everyone Bella's told me so much about." She says, her thick British accent causing the teenage boys in the room to swoon.

The wolves line up to introduce themselves, and then we all settle down in front of the bonfire, Hermione on one side of me, Jake on the other, ready for what the night brings.


	5. Chapter Four: Hermione's POV

**CHAPTER FOUR:**

**Hermione's POV:**

Surrounded by the shifters, I picked at my dinner, avoiding the eyes around me. Eating was a feat, as my stomach was used to the smallest of portions, nothing like the feast Emily has cooked up.

It's a good thing I'm so used to people staring at me, otherwise I'd be starting to freak out. But like I said, thanks to being Harry Potter's best friend as well as the temporary girlfriend of Quidditch World Champion Viktor Krum and one of the saviours of the Wizarding World, I'm more then used to having eyes glued to me, having my picture in the paper and my personal life picked apart by reporters.

Bella's friend Jacob is the first person to summon the courage to come talk to me, flanked by two people who introduced themselves as Quil and Embry. Quil was a tall and burly boy with a buzz cut and an impish grin, while Embry was more slender, with messy cropped hair.

Jacob had spent dinner glued to Bella' side, obviously crushing on her majorly, and it wasn't until we'd all eaten that he turned his attention to me. He was a handsome guy; thick, toned and muscular, his build mirrored that of a serious bodybuilder, though it was balanced by his tremendous height of six foot seven. He was handsome- very much so- with glossy black hair cut short, and his skin was silky and russet-colored, his eyes dark, set deep above the high planes of his cheekbones.

"So... will you be going to Forks High?" He asks, more as a conversation starter, then out of curiosity. I settle back slightly, glad to have an excuse to push away my plate, which I've barely touched.

"Yes, I'll be a senior, along with Bella." I smile.

"So where abouts in England did you live?" Quil asks, eagerly.

"I lived in the Hampstead Garden Suburb in London,' I answer, honestly, "though I spent a majority of my time over the school holidays with my boarding school friends in Ottery St. Catchpole." They all look at me as if I was speaking in Italian, or something, and I rolled my eyes. "Ottery St. Catchpole is in Devon, a large county in the South West of England." More blank looks, and I bite back the urge to sigh.

"Where did you go to high school?" This time it's one of the others, Jared his name is, with his girlfriend/imprint Kim standing beside him.

"A really stuffy boarding school in Scotland." I answer, "Maccallion Academy."

"Why Scotland? I mean, aren't there boarding schools in England?" Emily asks, curiously.

"The Academy... it's highly specialist and highly selective," I explain, "I was lucky to get in there- most people don't." Which, in a way, is all true.

"So why are you going to Forks High then?" An exotically beautiful young woman, with absolutelt perfect copper skin, lushdark hair cut short and eyelashes like feather dusters, spoke up next, her voice cold. I guessed she was Leah, as she is the only person who has yet to introduce herself, and from Bella's letters I can guess she won't. Refusing to her tone daze me (she has _nothing_ on a Slytherin), I give a bright smile.

"I got expelled." There's a stretch of silence, and then I laugh at myself, softly, realizing that nobody here understands my work ethic and won't get my joke. "I'm kidding. I already graduated from the Academy, but since I've moved to America, I'd like to get an American High School Certificate of Education." I explain. Bella chooses now to speak up.

"Hermione's weird," she explains, "she actually likes school!" I elbow my cousin, rolling my eyes.

"This is coming from the girl dating the vampire." I say, dryly. The shifters startle at my words, realizing for the first time that I know their secret, and Bella's cheeks go bright pink. Charlie, and the other adults are far enough away that they don't overhear me, as I checked before speaking up.

"Shut up!" She grumbles, good-naturedly, at the same time as Sam speaks up.

"You know about the Cold Ones?" He asks, his face clear of emotion. I shrug, and decide to go with nonchalant.

"Yeah, Bella and I share _everything_." I say, using the simplest explanation possibly, and putting great emphasis on the word 'everything'.

"Everything?" Sam asks, his tone now decidedly cold. At the sound, all the shifters stiffen, and it feels like the room temperature drops. I don't react, don't even flinch, just keep my gaze steady, looking at the 'alpha' of the shifter Pack. Emily lays a hand on his arm.

"Sam, relax," she murmurs, "she obviously hasn't told anyone anything, so there's no harm done." Sam glowers in Bella's direction before turning away and stalking away.

"Whew!" whistles Seth, a gangly teenager, through his teeth, "I thought he was going to explode!" Hesitant laughter follows Seth's statement, as if the Pack is still expecting their Alpha to turn and rip everything apart in an angered frenzy that yet another person knew the Big Secret.

Paul is the only shifter who doesn't laugh. He has an older face then the others, and looks like he's about to rip Bella and I apart for Sam. I let my hand drift into my pocket, and curl my fingers around the slim stick of wood hidden there. My wand warms slightly at my touch, and I snap my gaze over to Paul and let my eyes bore into his. He tries to keep my stare, but I let my aura swell around me, stretching out an invisible power that makes the animal instincts inside him tell him to submit to me, as a more powerful being.

He literally bares his teeth at me, before his head dips slightly, submitting to me as his instincts overpower his pride. Rage just about leaks from his pores, and he turns his malevolent gaze to my innocent, powerless sister.

"Fang-Banger!" He snarls at Bella, before spinning around and stalking off. Jacob lets out a snarl beside Bella, and launches to his feet, looking ready to chase after Paul and tear him limb from limb. His entire body is vibrating, a sure sign he's about to shift- and right in front of Charlie, who's still blissfully unaware of how big and scary the world really is.

Quil and Embry leap up and plant themselves in his way, speaking too quietly for me to hear, but obviously trying to calm Jacob down. Bella spins to face me, her own face pale in worry. "'Mi, can you do something? He's about to phase in front of Charlie!" She whispers, frantically.

"You owe me." I tell her, giving her a small smile, before turning to face Jacob. Wandless magic is not my forte, but a Cheering Charm is simple enough, something we covered back in our third year at Hogwarts. "Adhortor!" I whisper, as quietly as I can, while focusing on Jacob.

The effect it has on him is instantaneous, with him immediately cheering up. "God!" Mutters Bella, to me, as she stares at a smiling, happy Jacob in awe. "Oh my god! Jesus!" I elbow her, rolling my eyes.

"Calm down and be quiet before someone hears you," I tell her, "or I before I silencio you."

Her eyes widen comically. "Oh my god! It's so cool that you're of age and can cast spells outside of Hogwarts!" She grins

"God Bella, shh!" I hiss, glancing around to make sure nobody heard, "and whatever you do, please don't go around saying things like that within 100 feet of a vampire! They'll be able to hear every word!"

"Right. My bad." She beams, before Jacob bounds over to her, a dopey grin on his face, incredulous looks trailing after him. Oops. Maybe I cast the spell a bit too strong, I reflect.

But Bella's happy, chatting nineteen-to-the-dozen with him, and before long it's time to go home. We wave good-bye to everyone, and get into the cruiser, while Billy and Jacob depart in the Rabbit.

"So? What did you think of everyone?" Bella demands, excitedly.

"Paul was a real piece of work, and Sam needs to pull the stick out of his arse." I tell her, "but everyone else seemed nice." I shrug. Bella laughs.

"You backwards Brits!" She teases, "arse? Really? It's pronounced 'ass'!"

"Sod off! An ass is a donkey, you Yank." I retort, planting a playful pout on my face. I was right- moving in with Bella and Charlie is just what I needed. It feels good to mess around, to be away from the suffocating presence back in England, as we try to recover from the War that stole so many of us. Fred, Remus, Tonks and Colin are just a handful of those we lost.

And then there's the personal struggles, the ones that are just as painful and overwhelming. I killed human beings, during the Battle of Hogwarts. True, they were horrible, despicable excuses for humans, but they were still a human life that I took.

My own grief overwhelmed me, every minute of every day, but back in England I was also around the grieving Harry and the Weasleys... I was suffocating in the loss of people I loved and the loss of my innocence. I was drowning in my depression, Harry's depression, the Weasley's depression...

I couldn't stay there. I'm not sure I'd have managed to find the strength to carry on, to find a purpose to keep living.

I tried to get away, while staying close-ish, at the Leakey Cauldron, but then I was constantly surrounded by the press, my thousands of adoring fans who ran over and hugged me in the middle of the street, crying and spilling gratitude, and then there were the memories. Memories of what had been, of Fred pranking Percy, of buying Crookshanks, and of having a drink with my parents, after the first time we visited Diagon Alley- I'd had water, but they'd needed something a little stronger.

Here, with Bella, I'm getting a second chance, in a way. A chance to live like a normal person, vampires and shifters aside. A chance to live in a happier environment, without any reminders of what I had lost.

"You look like you're doing some deep thinking." Bella murmured, from beside me. I glanced up into her chocolate brown eyes, not surprised by her insight- Bella had always been good at reading people, whereas I was good at reading books.

"Just... thinking about what happened." I tell her, softly. The corners of her mouth droop, and she gently grasps my hand with hers.

"You know you can tell me anything, right?" She says, earnestly, "I don't like seeing you like this, 'Mi, so sad, so empty... You just zone out, go blank... if you ever need a shoulder to cry on, I'm always here, promise me, 'kay?" she demands, fiercely.

I can't help a small smile at her fiery passion. She's a mild-mannered girl, until it comes to those she loves... just like me, in a way. "I promise." I tell her, even though I don't really mean it.

I don't want to burden her, I don't want her to look at me any differently. My gaze drifts down to my left forearm, almost unconsciously, and I hold back the urge to shudder. MUDBLOOD. My permanent reminder of a time I'd like to forget, more then anything else.

Bella's gaze follows mine, and I can see the questions in her eyes, but she doesn't say anything, and I'm grateful for her insight.

We arrive back at the house at around ten-ish. Bella already has a bounce in her step, knowing she's going to be spending the night snuggling up to her boyfriend. I don't know if it's just me, but I'd rather not go to sleep in the arms of a bloodthirsty vampire.

I go up to the bedroom that is now mine, and change into a light pair of pajamas. Compared to Hogwarts in winter, Forks is downright toasty. I brush my teeth in the bathroom, alongside Bella, then say goodnight, retreating back to my room. The wards I set up in the house tingle, notifying me that there's a vampire in the house- looks like Edward's ready for bed too.

Groaning softly, I flop down on the bed, yanking the duvet up to my chin. I don't know if I'll be able to sleep with a vampire in the house- all my senses are screaming at me to either go kill it, or get the hell out of here.

In the end, I go with the second option, and cast a quick silencing charm on the window, before easing it open. I swing my legs over the ledge, take a deep breath, then jump up into the air

My transformation into my Animagi form is smooth and almost instantaneous. I resist the urge to let out a cry of joy, as I spread my powerful wings and soar up into the sky.

My Animagus form is a Philippine eagle, the third largest bird in the world. I'm more then a meter long, and have a wingspan of over two meters. It took me three years to perfect my Animagi transformation, and I changed for the first time in my fifth year at Hogwarts. It was always my secret, my escape when everything became too much.

I soar up in the sky, dipping and swerving above the town, above the forest. There's nothing more freeing then flying, high above everyone else. I fly for hours, until I'm finally tired enough to return to my room.

Getting back into the room proves to be problematic- the windowsill is too narrow for me to balance on while I shift out of my Animagus form, and the window is too small for me to fly into, whilst still in Animagus form. Damn it.

My solution ends up being to shift out of my eagle form in the backyard, then sneak back into the house, up to my room, via the back door. Knowing that Bella's vampire can hear every move I make, makes this unsettling, and I vow to figure out some kind of solution- maybe a disillusioned ladder resting against my window could work, so that I can climb straight up, not having to go through the house, with muggle and vampire repellant charms placed on and around it, so one of the vampires or muggles don't get the fright of their lives, walking into an invisible ladder.

I slide back into my bed, locking the door, and am sleepy enough that I can ignore the buzzing of my wards.

Eventually, I drift into an uneasy sleep, where a raven-haired, gaunt faced witch greets me, curved blackthorn wand in one hand, silver dagger in the other.

_"Let's have a little chat... girl on girl." She cackles, and there's a flash of burning red light. I open my mouth and scream._


	6. Chapter Five: Bella's POV

**CHAPTER FIVE:**

**Bella's POV:**

Waking up in Edward's arms will never get old.

I sigh, happily, and shift positions so I can kiss him. His icy lips move against mine, deliciously, and his smooth tongue sweeps against the bottom of my lips.

We break away when my lungs tighten uncomfortably, reminding me that (for now, anyway) I'm human, and I need air. I pant, while he smiles crookedly, his cool breath tickling my face. "Good morning!" I say, when I get my breathing back under control, and his smile grows wider.

"It is now." I raise an eyebrow.

"Seriously?" I ask. He looks sheepish.

"Okay, that was a little cheesy." He admits.

"A little?" I giggle, moving forward to kiss him, lightly, before rolling out of bed, in a most ungraceful manner compared to the smooth way Edward flows to his feet.

As I move about the bedroom, getting ready for the day, I'm almost bouncing off the walls, I'm so excited about introducing Hermione to the rest of the Cullens- I know Alice and Emmet, in particular, are extremely eager to meet 'Bella 2.0'.

"Does your sister have a habit of sneaking out in the middle of the night?" Edward asks, somewhat out of the blue, a small frown marring his otherwise perfect face. I freeze, in the middle of the process of picking out my clothes for the day.

"Huh?" I ask, somewhat stupidly.

"Hermione left the house at some point and didn't return until past three in the morning." He explains.

"She WHAT?" I gape, eyes widening in disbelief. Hermione? Sneaking out? Breaking rules? A wide grin spreads across my face, obviously shocking Edward, who was expecting a different reaction. "This is going to give me ammunition for weeks!" I say, gleefully. "Thanks!" Edward laughs, softly, at the triumphant look on my face.

"Always glad to please." He says, bending over and kissing my hand lightly. I pout at him, but he taps his forehead. "Charlie's about to walk in, and I don't think he'd be too happy to see your lips all swollen from making out." He says, and I blush.

"Right. Whoops." I mumble. "Bye Edward!" He smiles at me, crookedly.

"Goodbye, my love. I'll come swing by at eleven thirty to pick you up for lunch."

Before I can thank him, or say anything else, he disappears, too fast for my eyes to comprehend, out of the window, and not a moment too soon, as Charlie knocks on the door. "You decent, Bells?" He calls out, gruffly. I am, dressed in the sweats I wore to bed, but I reply in an affirmation anyway.

"Give me a second!" I call out, turning back to my closet and snatching out a random top to go with my jeans. I bundle my clothes to my chest and walk out of the room. Charlie is leaning against the corridor wall, looking a little worse for wear. "Too much to drink last night?" I tease him, remembering him downing beers at the rez with Sue and Billy, before returning home where he usually has another beer or two (or three).

Would I say Charlie's got a drinking problem? My answer- he's a cop. He deals with hard to deal with things, and has for a long time. He didn't always work in the quieter Forks, he used to work in Seattle, a city with a record high crime percentage. I also know that Charlie never really got over Renee, and still deeply mourns their marriage falling apart, and more then that, he regrets letting her take custody of me without a fight.

He explained to me that he thought it was the best thing to do at the time, to let me stay with my mom, but when he learned about Hermione, he was furious and immediately started fighting for custody of me. It was a long, drawn-out process, but a few weeks after my seventeenth, he succeeded.

He proved to a court of law, to a judge and a jury, that he was a fit parent, much more capable then Renee, and the few drinks every here or there don't change that.

"There's a herd of elephants in my head." Charlie grumbles, referring to his hangover, before getting straight to the point, the way only Charlie does. "So, you're going to visit the Cullen's today? With Hermione?" He asks, face furrowing at the word 'Cullen'. I sigh, knowing he still hasn't forgiven Edward for leaving me, and blames him for my period of intense depression.

"Yeah." I nod, and he sighs and runs a hair through his ruffled curls. I can tell he wants to say something, but he seems nervous about saying it. "Dad, just spit it out." I smile, and he looks at me ruefully.

"I'm that obvious?" He asks.

"Well-" I mime running my hand through my hair, "kind of." He sighs, again.

"I think... I think you should ask Dr. Cullen to give 'Mi a quick check up." He says, in a quiet voice. I jolt, startled that Charlie noticed the differences in Hermione. Maybe I don't give him enough credit, I muse.

"Believe me, dad, I'd love to get her to," I admit, "but you know how stubborn 'Mi is." He chuckles.

"Even worse then you," he remembers, fondly, "I remember that time when you two were ten, and I was up visiting you all in California. She had her nose stuck in a book and tripped down a flight of stairs. Claimed nothing was wrong, and we didn't realize until that night that her foot was swollen the size of a golf-ball. Fractured metatarsal, she was on crutches for weeks."

I laugh, remembering the time well. Hermione was, as usual, spending her summer with me, and it was during the two weeks Charlie came up to spend time with me over the summer, when the incident happened. When the doctor had asked her, incredulously, in the ER, why on earth would she walk around on a broken foot all day, she had sheepishly admitted she didn't want to ruin the day we had planned.

"She's a force of nature." I smile.

"I'm assuming you're talking about me." I hear someone with a thick British accent comment. I spin around, a chagrined expression on my face, but Hermione doesn't seem bothered- by the way her lips are twitching, I'd guess she was amused. But... instead of looking better rested, after the night's sleep, she looks even paler, even more exhausted. I then remember Edward commenting about her sneaking out, and vow to confront her about it, sometime today.

"Looking back over some memories." Is all I say, for now, and she laughs, softly at my answer.

"Oh dear. Which ones in particular?" She asks. She leans against the corridor, much like Charlie is, and I'm struck by how alike they are in their mannerisms. Hermione is fully dressed, already, her bushy curls somewhat tamed and forced into a single braid, fastened with a small black ribbon, and she's dressed in the same casual outfit as yesterday- jeans, pale blue sweater and tan ankle boots.

"When you took over eight hours to mention you might have broken your foot." Charlie says. Hermione laughs, softly.

"I remember that. I wasn't worried, I self-diagnosed. A broken metatarsal is one of the most common bones to break, and it didn't even hurt that much after the first few hours. Besides, I knew that there'd be no permanent damage."

"That's not what that ER doctor said." Charlie remarks, sternly. Hermione shrugs.

"He said overusing a broken bone could last in permanent damage. I didn't. I was very careful about not overusing it."

"Give up, dad- it's Hermione! You can't win." I laugh, as Charlie opens his mouth to keep arguing his point. Hermione mock-pouts, playfully.

"Aw, I'm not that bad!"

"Yes you are." Charlie and I say, at the same time, before looking at each other and laughing. Hermione joins in, and I can't help the overwhelming feeling of rightness, that washes over me, as well as longing. This is how I wish I'd grown up, in a house with a parent who not only loved me, but I could rely on, rather have them rely on me, with my sister by my side. I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to forgive Renee for what she did.

"Oh Merlin!" Hermione says, suddenly, her tone the same as one might use when saying 'crap' or 'shit'. We both look at her, confused, and she realizes what we're so confused about. "Sorry, er 'Merlin' is just a phrase in England," she explains, her brain working so hard I can just about hear the gears whizzing. "Kind of like... blimey. And sod it." My lips twitch. Hermione has never been that good at lying.

I'd bet my left nut (if I were male, that is) that 'Merlin' was some kind of Magical thing. "So what are you 'sod-ing'?" I ask, using my fingers as inverted commas.

"I was supposed to ow-, uh, ring Harry yesterday, to tell him I was settling in fine." She explains, "I just realized I forgot, and that he's probably going to be in a bit of a state."

Harry Potter, her best friend, the Chosen One. A prophecy ended up in him being set in the crosshairs of the wizard-version of Hitler, and orphaned at the age of two. To make matters worse, the rest of the Wizarding world couldn't decide whether they loved him or hated him, yet constantly turned to him to save the day.

"You better go wri-um-ring him." I suggest, and Hermione turns and hurries off, her heels click-clacking against the wooden floorboards. Charlie watches her retreat, a nostalgic look on his face.

"I wish I'd seen her grow up." He said, quietly. "I wish I'd seen both of you grow up." I transfer my bundle of clothes for the day into my left hand, and reach out to Charlie with my right hand. I gently interlace my fingers with his, and smile at him, warmly.

"You've always been here for me when it matters." I tell him, before my cheeks go bright red. So do his- we both struggle with the outward expression of affection, and I'm quite proud of myself, even as I try to turn the flames in my cheeks from flaming tomato to light pink.

This is going to be a good year, I think to myself.


	7. Chapter Six, Part One: Hermione's POV

**CHAPTER SIX PART 1:**

**Hermione's POV:**

_Dear Harry,_

_Things here are going very well._

_Bella and Charlie seem happy to have me here, and they're making me feel very welcome._

_This place seems a lot like England, with its never ending rain and grey clouds, but it's warmer, which is nice._

_How are you guys going? I hope well. I miss you, all of you._

_Please give the Weasleys and Luna my love!_

_~Hermione_

Bella is so excited about introducing me to her future in-laws (Charlie would probably have a coronary if he heard her refer to the Cullens like that), that she's acting like she's under the influence of a cheering charm, all smiles and laughter and general hyper-ness.

As I'm staying with muggles, one of whom has no idea I'm a witch, I thought it best not to bring Enoch, so Harry gave me one of Sirius' twin books- the ones Sirius gave him in his fifth year. After writing my 'letter' in my book, it will appear in the one Harry has, and vice versa.

After finishing my letter, I spent the majority of the morning setting up an invisible ladder, under my windowsill, and working on the wards I set around my room. Instead of vampires being unable to set foot into my room, now I'll just wake up if one does. I wasn't too happy with having to do this, but I realize that Edward might get a bit suspicious if he tried walking into my room, and found himself unable to. There's only so much I can get away with, claiming to have some kind of latent 'Gift'.

Edward pulls up in front of the house at eleven thirty, setting off several of my wards. Bella meets him at the door, crashing her lips against his in unbridled passion. I can barely hold back my shiver of fear, seeing my innocent, defenseless cousin press herself up against a vampire. One wrong move and she was dead.

When they broke apart, Edward shot me a friendly smile, one that almost reached his eyes this time. "Good morning Hermione." He greeted me.

"Morning." I replied, as cordially as I could. Bella rolled her eyes, and latched onto my arm with hers.

"Let's go!" She said, excitedly, dragging me outside and into Edward's silver Volvo. The seats were soft leather, and the heating was on. Bella sat in the back with me, and I have to say, I was so tense during the drive that my hand never left my wand, hidden in my pocket- undetectable extension charms were a god-send, I could fit everything I needed into a jeans pocket, without gathering any attention.

Bella sensed I wasn't really in a talking mood, and chatted with Edward most of the way. It gave me some time to rest my body, as my sleep hadn't been that… well, restful.

It felt like every time I closed my eyes, I dreamt of death, destruction and of my time spent in the Malfoy Manor, screaming and writhing on the ground, wishing I was dead, dead, dead.

I remembered it so clearly, so vividly- painfully so.

_The Cruciatus Curse was like nothing...ever. I couldn't think while it was happening, couldn't breath; all I could do was scream until my throat gave out. I now understood why Neville's parents had gone mad, and wondered if I would– no, scratch that: when I would._

_Everything hurt. It was indescribable. For the first in my life, I wished for death. It would have been preferable - anything but this. Anything. If it would only stop. But when it did stop, Bellatrix would carve another letter into my skin with her blade, cutting right to the bone._

_I sobbed helplessly, my dignity stripped from me, piece by piece, from the pain. Even the searing burn of having my skin sliced into by Bellatrix was a blessed relief compared to the horror of the cruciatus curse. _

_Faint yells drifted to my ears whenever I fell silent; Ron, screaming my name impotently, each helpless invocation cutting into me like Bellatrix's blade. I tried not to listen, tried to look anywhere but at Bellatrix's insane smile. Narcissa came into view now and then, a pale worried face hovering in the periphery of my blurred vision. Lucius stood closer, his haggard face distorted by my veil of tears, his eyes turning between his worried wife and his sister-in-law's current amusement- me._

_I screamed at the newest wave of pain and felt my throat tear as Bellatrix giggled, "There- MUDBLOOD. Now everyone who sees you will know what you are." Such happiness in Bellatrix's voice, such pure joy. The witch was barking mad. I choked and sobbed, coughing up blood and snot. I lay there between rounds of cruciatus and eventually fixed all my focus on one thing, the only thing that gave me any control. The person I hated most in the room. Draco Malfoy. _

_He was so tall now; he loomed above me, standing close to Bellatrix as the mad witch had insisted he do. Bella thought Draco enjoyed watching me be tortured, but I could see better, even through my haze of pain._

_He was terrified and sickened, his ferret-pointed features paler than usual. His grey eyes never met mine, avoiding them, lingering instead on the mutilation his aunt was inflicting. And that made me hate him more than anything else, ever. He knew it was wrong - and he still didn't help me. The others, they were just pure evil - and you couldn't hate evil people in the same way you could hate good people that did evil things. Like one of my parent's favorite quotes- all it takes for evil to succeed, is for good people to do nothing._

_And although I didn't believe Draco had ever been good as such, far from it in fact, he still wasn't evil in the way his father and Bellatrix were. "D-Draco," I croaked, finally, desperately, and his pressed tight lips twitched, his broad skinny shoulders hunched further up around his ears. His wand hand twitched almost as though he wanted to do something, but he did nothing. "Please!" I begged him and he heard me and he did nothing._

_Bellatrix laughed, awful screeching sounds and cried, "Crucio! Crucio! CRUCIO!" And I screamed and screamed and screamed. And when my body finally went limp, I stared at Draco, willing him to listen to me. "Please, Draco, please! I beg you! Please..." A part of me hated myself, for debasing myself, but a larger part of me no longer cared at all. I just wanted the pain to stop._

_ "The Mudblood wants you, Draco. What does the Mudblood think you can give her? Death maybe...or something else? Hahaha, yes...something else, maybe? Come on love, ask her," Bella cooed and Draco shot a hunted look at his aunt and shuffled slowly forward. I felt sick as I realized what Bellatrix was insinuating, and another level of fear washed over me._

_ Bellatrix prodded him, and Draco looked at me. "What do you want?" The words were barely audible, a dull low murmur. I stared at him as though I could burn a hole through his skull. _

_"Please..." I whisper, "we were at school together. I thought I knew you. You're not like this. You're not this person. Please. I never thought... Please. Help me," I begged him incoherently and his eyes finally met with mine._

_Anguish and shame marred his perfect features - so perfect. No blood or snot or tears on Draco's face. Only mine, my dirty Mudblood face. I sobbed, so disgusted with myself for begging but unable to stop myself. "Please! Please... just do it, __**kill me**__. Please." I begged, and he flinched and his eyes swam with tears._

_I hated him. He didn't have the right to be upset over this when I was the one being ripped apart. How dare he? "I - I..." Draco shook his head and backed off a step, his grey eyes still fixed with my bloodshot chocolate brown ones._

_"Please! I'm begging you! Please just kill me! Just kill me!" The words tumbled out of me in a rushing tumbling sob, and I put every ounce of emotion that I had left into pleading with the boy I had always despised. Trying desperately to convince him to end my life. Even dazed and in agony as I was, I could see the irony in it._

_Draco whimpered- actually whimpered, and stumbled back shaking his head, horror printed all over his face. Horrified by his inability, I thought hazily. Because he looked as though he cared, in some sick, cowardly sort of way. He cared but he was too damn cowardly to do anything. I despised him. _

_"God, I hate you! You coward! You c-" My body thrashed against the floor as I fought the spell that kept me immobile. Spittle flew from my bloodied lips as I screamed the words at Draco, who only crumpled in on himself even more. My maddened shrieks were only cut short, as Bellatrix grew bored with the show and shouted. "crucio!" And then I screamed without words, animalistic and awful._

_When Harry and Ron came charging stupidly - bravely - out to rescue me, I was drifting in and out of consciousness. Chaos erupted around me in a split second and I came back to myself slowly, the spell Bella had cast on me keeping me spread-eagled on the floor, even as I struggled weakly. I watched through a sea of tears as Harry took on Bellatrix, and Ron attacked Lucius Malfoy. _

_"Hang on, Hermione!" Harry sounded like Sirius, I thought to myself, so cocksure and reckless, no thought of failure entering his mind. Relief flooded my limbs and gave me a rush of energy and I struggled against the hex that pinned me like a helpless beetle to the marble floor of the Malfoy Manor. Nothing happened. A sob choked from my aching throat. I had to get free and get to my wand, two meters away, dropped carelessly on the floor by Bellatrix as she'd spun to face Harry._

_ Bellatrix and Harry were flinging curses back and forth madly, and I decided then and there that we had to start using spells stronger than expeliarmus and stupefy. Voldemort's right-hand woman was using two of the Unforgiveables' and any number of dark spells that were designed purely to maim and destroy flesh and psyche._

_Harry wasn't going to be able to sustain the frenetic level of dueling Bellatrix was engaging in for very much longer if he kept only using defensive or immobilizing spells. If he got a hit in, Bellatrix would be stunned or wandless - if she hit Harry, however, he'd be dead or in an enormous amount of pain. Head surprisingly clear in the aftermath of my torture, I resolved to stop being noble and good when it came to fighting the Death Eaters, bitterness seeping through me and leaching strength into my bones. _

_Ron, surprisingly, was holding up well against Lucius- I would never have expected it from him, but he was casting not mere stun and disarming spells, but spells to hurt and injure if not actually kill. I felt a little touch of warmth and worry- it was because of me that Ron was fighting so ferociously, and I hoped that if he killed Lucius he wouldn't feel too bad about it._

_None of us had ever killed before, and I suspected the first time always had to be difficult. I redirected my dazed and skittering attention to my immediate situation, hoping that with Bellatrix distracted, the spell would falter and I would be able to break free of my invisible bonds. But no such luck. I swore and sobbed and struggled weakly, blood loss making my head swim. It seemed like hours but it could only have been several minutes at most since Ron and Harry had broken into the hall, when a face appeared above me._

_ Draco Malfoy. I shrank in on myself and was suddenly, acutely aware of my half-nakedness; the damp patch on my jeans from wetting myself during a crucio, the slur scribed into my pale skin, the runny snot drying beneath my nose. I was filthy and disgusting and helpless and if he wanted he could do...anything... My mind shied away from the possibilities and I blanked out, not thinking straight. "Don't." I whimpered and he flinched at the implied accusation. _

_He looked back down at me, face unreadable, and raised his wand. I shut my eyes tight for a moment, steeling myself for whatever it was Draco was going to do. "Relishio," he whispered under his breath and I opened my eyes in time to see Draco finish the complex little wand flick that accompanied the releasing spell._

_My mind was reeling as I repeated in my head, Relishio? What? I moved my right arm, carefully, and realized I was really was free. I sat up with a moan, watching him with darkly suspicious eyes and tugging at the shreds of my shirt ineffectively. _

_He watched as I pushed myself back along the floor, my limbs too weak to stand, and my fingers closed around my wand, a wave of heat searing through my fingers, as the wood warmed around my hand. I spared a glance for Harry and Ron, both still holding their own, if only barely. How in the hell was I supposed to help? Somehow, I managed to staggered upright and stood swaying, facing Draco. "Why?" I asked and his jaw went tight, the muscles spasming._

_"I -" he started to speak and broke off as, with a pop, Bill and Fleur Weasley apparated into the room holding Dobby's hands, their wands spitting sparking curses as soon as they appeared. _

_"Why?" I demanded again, needing to know._

_"I'm not a damned monster, Granger! I'm doing what I have to do to survive." he said, voice low, face pained._

_ "How fucking noble," I spat and was disappointed when he didn't react to my goading. _

_"He's going to torture me for the failure to capture you!" His voice cracked, his lip trembled, and I could see tears of fear shimmering in his eyes. Draco wasn't lying; he really did expect to be tortured for helping me. And that didn't change a damn thing in my mind. _

_"Good," I snarled, in a most un-Hermione-like manner, "Think of me while you're screaming, and know if I was there, I wouldn't fucking help you either. Stupefy!" The last word was yelled and Draco went tumbling backwards, wand skittering out of his hand as his head met marble floor. _

_I didn't spare him another glance, turning and stumbling for the others, where the battle raged on. I skidded to a halt by Bill Weasley, pointed my wand at Bellatrix, and channeling all my hate and fury, screamed, "Crucio!" Venom saturated my voice, and the insane witch couldn't block my curse in time. _

_Bellatrix crumpled and writhed on the floor, and Lucius was distracted for a moment, forced to use defensive magic instead of curses. He threw up a Shield charm , under the ferocious onslaught of curses, and gave me a withering look of disgust and hatred. "Quickly!" Dobby cried and held out his hands to the five witches and wizards. We dashed to him quickly, Harry lagging behind somewhat and shooting curses at Malfoy Senior as he backed towards the House Elf._

_"Come on, Harry!" Bill cried as I laid a hand on Dobby's back. House Elf magic didn't operate by the same rules as human magic, and apparently one benefit was that Dobby could apparate past the Malfoy's wards, taking humans out too using side-along apparition. _

_My eyes met Ron's and I saw horror and empathy written over his face. It was awkward, too intimate, and I dropped my eyes, and my cruciatus curse sputtered to a halt. Just as Harry reached Dobby, Bellatrix straightened and pulled something glinting silver from her clothing. A laugh erupted from her twisted mouth as she threw the silver blade toward us. I flinched as the world twisted and my stomach rolled, nauseated, as Dobby disaparrated_

_I hit the sandy ground hard and tumbled to my knees, rather ungracefully, the wrenching feeling behind my bellybutton fading. I was on all fours, and my tears dripped on the backs of my hands and on the ground, my whole body trembling. I could hear Harry calling Dobby's name, fear and anguish in his voice, but I couldn't focus on it, the world slipping into chaos._

_Was I safe? Did we get away? My wounds stung and my mind felt utterly shattered from the events of the past few hours. "Hermione?" Ron's familiar voice was a balm on my nerves as he lifted me to my feet, wrapping his arm around my waist to keep me upright. The feel and smell of him was like home, and I leant my head against his side, sighing softly. _

_"Merlin, 'ermione! What deed zey do to you?" Fleur's French tones washed over me in a worried wave, "Ronald, ve must get 'er eenside! Come!"_

_ "Can you walk?" Ron leant his head down to mine, speaking into my tangled mane, breath warm on my scalp and ear. _

_"Y-yes." I found some remaining strength somewhere and lifted my head, looking around. "Oh no..." The exclamation escaped my lips, a soft, pained exhale, and my tears started anew as the first thing my eyes fell upon was Harry walking towards us with his head bowed and Dobby cradled in his arms. The House Elf's head lolled limply, and I knew he was dead. I bit my tongue and tasted blood; Bellatrix had taken a victim after all, and that made me furious._

_Ron tried to guide me away from the grassy edge of the beach but I resisted his tugs as Harry drew closer. "I'm so sorry, Harry." I whimpered and he met my eyes and nodded once jerkily. _

_"Thanks. I'm sorry too." A rough whisper and misery in his green eyes. "I want to bury him. Not with magic. Do you have a shovel around?" Harry asked Bill and the older man nodded, leading Harry away, into the grey of the nearing dawn. _

_ "'Ermione, pleeze, come eenside and let me feex your wounds." Fleur begged, and I followed the Beauxbatons witch painfully up the long winding pathway to a little cottage overlooking the sea, leaning heavy on Ron. My brain was overflowing with the vivid memories of what had happened since they had been captured and my mind kept wandering away on me. I felt my jeans rubbing damp on my upper thighs and blushed, mortified and simultaneously amazed that I had the energy to care about something as minor as wetting my pants._

_My knee hurt like buggery, I must've twisted it somehow, and I was panting with exhaustion and pain by the time they reached the top of the low gently sloping hill Bill and Fleur's house sat atop. There was a little white picket fence around the house, and the gate that Fleur swung open had a little copper plaque that read 'Shell Cottage'. _

_"Hermione." Luna appeared in the open doorway of Shell Cottage in a pair of brown overalls, hair in two plaits, mouth dropped open with concern. She looked thin, much too thin, and even paler then she normally was, from her time spent in the cellar. "Ron, Fleur." Luna looked us over as we traipsed in past her, Ron jerking his head in acknowledgment and mumbling hello. "Where are Bill, Harry and Dobby? Are they alright?" Her tone was dreamy and lacked most of the urgency most people would express, a faint pursing of her lips and worry in her eyes the only overt sign of Luna's fear for the others._

_ "Dobby's dead." Ron answered her, abruptly, as he led me through to the room Fleur waved him towards. "Harry and Bill are fine. Harry's burying Dobby. Come on, 'Mione, let's get you on the bed." Ron sounded stronger lately, more confident and together. He had ever since he'd come back to them and destroyed the locket that night. It was as though something fundamental had been changed in him. He'd grown up._

_It made me feel safer around him, like I didn't have to do all the thinking myself, which was ever so useful in a situation like this, where I was too fragile and hurting too much to be the organized one, the together one. _

_As if in a dream, I lay down on the bed and heard Luna murmur that she was going to go and keep Harry company. I thought that was nice. Merlin, I was tired, and still so sore from the cruciatus curses I had suffered through. _

_"Ron, per'aps you should go. Vee need privacy for zees." _

_"I'll be just outside, 'Mione." A large, warm hand squeezed mine and I squeezed it back, eyes shut. The door closed with a creak and a soft thunk, and I sighed, opening my eyes and looking up at Fleur. The beautiful witch was staring down at my wounds with sympathy, and I thought that loving Bill was good for Fleur. She looked softer, easier in her skin somehow. And so beautiful, painfully so, with her silver-blonde hair, flawless skin, flawless figure, and striking blue eyes. _

_"Accio Essence of Dittany," Fleur called and a bottle zapped off a shelf, flying into Fleur's hand. "Zey are not so bad, your injuries." A wand movement over my body accompanied by a stream of muttered words, and Fleur nodded as the magical scan confirmed her judgement. "Eet looks as zees, ah, injuries on your arm were done wees a blade. Zose were done wees magic, and ze scarring weel not be eliminated wees ze dittany. A medi-witch might be able to feex it, per'aps but I cannot."_

_Fleur dabbed the dittany over my arm as she spoke, the cuts slowly closing and forming thick, knotted scars that would never fade, would never be able to be hidden with a glamour. "I am sorry, 'ermione." _

_I felt numb, dazed. So, Bellatrix had marked me, had she? I couldn't seem to summon the energy to care. Not yet, anyway. "Thank you, Fleur." I whispered hoarsely, and shut my eyes, letting the Beauxbatons witch tend to my wounds in silence. _

The torture had affected me so much more then I'd ever let on, to anybody- my friends were locked up, unable to help me and a sadistic, sociopathic witch was torturing me. Rescue seemed nowhere in sight, and I'd been expecting to either go insane or be killed. No matter how much pride I have, too much to seek help anyway, that's just not something a teenager just bounces back from- especially when said teenager then goes on to continue being in mortal danger.

The silver Volvo slowed to a halt, at the end of a mile long, winding driveway, and Bella reached across to squeeze my hand.

It was time to meet the vampire in-laws to-be.

**A/N: I believe Hermione's torture would have had a larger impact on her then what was written in the books, and in this story, the torture has had a significant impact on our favorite sharp-tongued, quick-witted Gryffindor, and concentrates on how she overcomes the obstacle of her scarred psyche, and possible PTSD, while falling in love.**


	8. Chapter Six, Part Two: Hermione's POV

**Chapter Six Part 2: Hermione's POV**

**Hermione's POV:**

As I follow Bella into the huge, white mansion, I can't help but feel like a gazelle waltzing into a lion's den. Bella squeezes my hand and shoots me a radiant smile. She's so head over heels for her vampire I'm almost envious.

I've never had a serious relationship before, never been in love. I know that Ron wants one, with me, but the problem with that is I'm gay. I can't help it- I wouldn't want to help it- I'm not attracted to him in the slightest- or any male, for that manner. The whole Viktor Krum thing? That was an experiment. I run on logic, and I wanted to know what it was like, being with a boy.

His kisses felt sloppy, his scent was unappealing and the sex was… well, let's just say I didn't reach my climax. It just felt wrong, like trying to jam a square peg into a round hole. The only other person I've ever slept with was Katie Bell. We dated in secret for nearly three months before I had to break it off, at the end of my sixth year. That relationship had felt right. Being with Katie felt right. Her kisses were electric, addictive, the way her soft, plump lips moved against mine woke a fire in my lower abdomen. And the sex… it was amazing. Nothing like being with a male. Our relationship had been light, happy- not serious, but fun. A breath of fresh air.

Breaking it off with Katie had been hard but manageable. We were very fond of each other, extremely so, but we weren't in love. We both knew that. We both accepted it. But we had still enjoyed our time together.

I'm drawn back to the present, out of my ruminations, by Bella squeezing my hand, gently, as we reach the front door. We don't need to knock, a brunette vampire just whisks the door open.

I recognize her from the descriptions in Bella's letters. Bree Tanner-Cullen is beautiful, stunning, with orange-amber eyes that show she's still new to the diet of animal blood- Bella told me that she and Jasper are the newest editions to the Cullen family. Dark haired and slight, Bree beams at me and Bella, even as she noticeably stops breathing, as to help control her bloodlust.

"Hi Bella! Hi Hermione!" She chirps, in the bell-like, melodious voice of all vampires.

"Hey Bree." Bella smiles, easily. I notice that neither Bella nor Bree try to touch each other, despite the obvious closeness between them. They knew Bree's limits, accept them and seem happy to work around them.

A stunning caramel haired woman flits over, a beautiful smile on her perfect face. Esme. "Hello Bella, dear," she says, and she embraces my sister before turning to me, a warm smile on her face. "And you must be Hermione." She steps towards me, opening her arms and, satisfied by the golden color of her eyes, I let the vampire embrace me gently.

"You must be Esme." I say. "It's nice to finally meet you. Bella's told me so much about you, about all of you."

A booming laugh echoes around the house, and a bear of a man bounds into the foyer to join the welcoming committee. Big, burly and built like a body-builder, the dimples seem out of place on the vampire I know is called Emmett.

He blurs over to Bella, pulling her into his arms and spinning her around, before placing her on the ground and turning to me. "Hey new li'l sis!" He greets me, excitedly, pulling me up into a hug. I can't help my body tensing at the motion and he immediately releases me with an apologetic look. "Sorry." He says, and I shrug.

"No biggie." A statuesque blonde glides into the room, and I almost start drooling then and there.

"Okay, wow!" I gape. This vampire is as beautiful as a veela, and easily one of the most beautiful creatures I have ever seen- and believe me, I've seen a few. Her radiant golden eyes are surrounded by thick, dark lashes, and her face is framed by golden tresses, that fall down past her mid-back. The skin-tight dress she's wearing perfectly accentuates her hour-glass figure, her mile long legs, and generous sized chest. None of Bella's letters even came close to describing the perfection that was this vampire.

The stunning blonde's lips curve into a smile, and she holds out a hand, daintily, even as I blush and mumble apologies for my exclamation. "I'm Rosalie." She introduces herself, and I shake her hand, the icy touch of her fingers making me want to shiver in delight.

"I'm Hermione." I say, and Rosalie falls back to beside Emmett, who wraps his arm around her shoulders. The move isn't possessive, or anything, it just seems like a habit. Like he loves holding her close, being close to her. Their love makes me smile.

A blonde doctor shakes my hand next, introducing himself as Carlisle, even though I already knew from Bella's descriptions, followed by a tall boy with honey-colored curls called Jasper. Jasper is careful not to touch me, his eyes, like his mate's eyes Bree, are still an amber-orange color, not quite the shining gold of the other 'vegetarians'.

The final vampire walks into the room, and promptly freezes when her eyes meet mine. I freeze too, as I stare back. Absolute shock is clear on her perfect, radiant features. She's stunning, just as beautiful as Rosalie, her inky black hair styled in neat curls, pale colored jeans hugging to her slim legs and a light colored blouse accentuating her flat stomach, curved hips and perfect breasts. Her large doe-like golden eyes pierce mine, locking my gaze in place, shock clearly reflected in them. She looks kind of like a pixie, I think.

"Alice?" Edward frowns, and then his eyes widen as he reads her thoughts.

"Are you okay, Alice?" Esme asks, a look of concern on her face, flitting over and gently touching her arm. Alice jolts slightly and tears her gaze away from me, looking around the room wildly, frantically, frazzled.

"How is this possible? How did I not see it?" She asks, her voice slightly hysterical.

"What happened?" Emmett asks, his voice concerned for his coven-mate.

"Alice just had a vision." Edward says, smoothly, and I resist the urge to narrow my eyes. That's a lie. Bella told me that Alice's face goes blank when she has a vision, and her golden eyes become unfocused. That's not what just happened. But I don't call Edward out on it; merely accept it.

I would be a hypocrite if I got upset with them keeping secrets, when I'm hiding my status as not actually being (fully) human from them. Alice nods, her voice still shaking slightly. "Yes. Yes. I…" she shakes her head, as if trying to clear water from her ears. "I'll be back in a second." She says, flitting away.

"So that was Alice." I say, my tone casual.

"Yep." Emmett says, a big smile on his face, "that was Shorty." Everyone else is looking at Edward, confusion on most of their faces and then a shocked comprehension, as his lips move minutely, as he speaks too quietly and too fast for any human (or witch, for that matter) to hear, explaining what just happened, what he just heard in Alice's mind. I pretend not to notice.

"The visions must be hard on her." I comment, twisting my face into a look of concern.

"Some visions are worse then others." Rosalie speaks up, in her chiming voice. I look back up at the beautiful blonde, who is looking at me, curiosity clear on her features.

"Shall we go into the game room?" Emmett asks, sounding eager.

"Lunch first." Admonishes Esme, and Emmett pouts.

"Fine!" He sighs, theatrically.

"Is Alice alright?" Bella whispers to Edward, obviously not meaning for me to hear it, but my hearing, although nowhere near as good as a vampires, is slightly better then your average human's.

"I'll explain later, love." He says, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I promise it's nothing to worry about." Looking relieved, Bella turns to me.

"Esme is a fantastic cook!" she gushes. Emmett wrinkles his nose, as Esme leads the way to the dining room, a large room containing only a mahogany table and ten mahogany chairs, with plush velvet seats. The table is covered in platters of food, far too much for two teenage girls.

"It sure doesn't smell that divine." He comments, "It smells like charcoal dipped in tar." I sniff, letting the delicious scent of roast lamb wash over me. I almost start drooling, reminded slightly of Hogwarts' feasts.

"Believe me, to a human it smells divine." I tell him.

"You're very relaxed about all this vampire stuff." Rosalie says, pulling out a chair for me, before settling in the one next to me. Emmett sits beside her, and Bella sits across from me with Edward, Jasper and Bree. Carlisle sits at the foot of the table, and Esme at the head. I reach out to start serving myself, but Esme beats me to the punch, happily dishing up lunch for Bella and I.

"I'm used to weird." I tell Rosalie, a small, slightly nostalgic smile on my face. I wonder how the vampires would react if I told them about my disastrous class in second year with the Cornish pixies. Or my adventures with teaching Grawp English. "And I've had some time to get used to the idea." I add, seeing the curiosity in the eyes around me.

Esme places my plate in front of me, just as Alice glides back into the room, her movements more graceful then any ballerina I've ever seen. "Sorry about before," she says, as she sits down in the only unoccupied chair left- right next to me. "I'm Alice, though you probably know that." She smiles, sweetly.

"Hermione, but you probably knew that too." I tell her, smiling back, before tucking into my potatoes and gravy. Luna and Ron would love Esme's cooking, I think.

"So tell us about yourself, Hermione!" Emmett booms, and Rosalie rolls her eyes and elbows him, sharply.

"Don't be so rude Emmett!" She scolds her mate, "give her time to eat her lunch!" He looks back at her sheepishly. The mating habits of vampires intrigue me, somewhat, and at the same time make me wistful. I know exactly what a vampire soul-mate is- when Bella wrote to me saying Edward was her soul mate, I had instantly researched it. I probably knew more about vampire mating habits then vampires! Intense, unconditional love. The thing any and every human, witch, wizard, and magical creature of any kind craved. Vampires, in a way, had it easy- one glance into the eyes of their soul-mate, and they knew. The rest of us had to figure it out over time.

I smile at the two, sitting on my right, and speak up, giving them the basic story-minus the bit about 'the Academy', a.k.a. Hogwarts. I just said I went to boarding school, not even specifying that it was in Scotland.

"I grew up in England," Carlisle says, and I smile.

"I can tell you're English- I can hear your accent. It's really slight, but it's there." I say. "London, right?" He beams at me.

"Yes, I was born there in the seventeenth century."

"So who are your friends?" Alice speaks up, in her chiming voice.

"My best friends have to be Harry and Ron," I smile, fondly. "I went to boarding school with them. We became friends in my first year after they rescued me from a tr-intruder," I quickly amend, cursing my slip of the tongue, "and we've stayed best friends ever since. I'm also quite close to Luna, Ginny, Hagrid, George and Fre-" I freeze, mid sentence, realizing my mistake. _Fred_…

Bella frowns, concerned. "What's the matter? Did something happen to Fred?" she asks, her voice worried. She knows how fond I was of Fred. I close my eyes, cursing my weakness. I hate crying in front of people.

"Fred died." I say, my voice choked. Died at the hands of a cloaked, masked Death Eater. Bella gasps.

"No! Oh god!" She says, and I open my eyes to meet her horrified ones.

"I'm very sorry for your loss." Esme says, gently, reaching over and gently squeezing my hand.

"Thank you." I say, quietly. I pick at my food, mind lost in thought. Fred's death nearly destroyed George, Lee and his fiancé, Angelina. George could barely speak in the weeks following the Final Battle, and cried openly at the funeral.

"What are Harry and Ron like?" Alice asks, her voice soft, pulling me from my ruminations. My lips twitch into a smile.

"Troublemakers. I don't think there's a school rule they didn't break." I laugh, remembering all our late-night jaunts. "They were such bad influences on me." I add, unable to help my smile, "we lost so many House points thanks to them, and half the time they managed to drag me into their idiotic schemes! They're as good at sport as they are with getting away with their crazy schemes, though," I add, "Ron got signed up to a team when he finished school, and Harry was also given the option, but he went into university, to study medicine."

More half-truths. Ron got signed up for the Chudley Canons, much to his delight, and Harry was offered places on several prestigious Quiditch teams, but ended up deciding to study to become a Healer.

"What about relationships?" Emmett pipes up, a wicked grin on his face. "Any hot romances?" He asks, wiggling his eyebrows in a lewd manner, that makes me laugh. Beside me, Alice stiffens and narrows her golden eyes at her 'brother'.

"I don't think that's appropriate!" She hisses, eyes flashing. Emmett holds up both hands in surrender.

"Sorry!" he says, a pout on his face. I laugh at their antics. Some might think it was strange, the way these vampires, all aged over one hundred still acted like teenagers, but the fact is, when a human is turned to a vampire, they retain their mental age from when they were turned. The Cullen 'children' were all Turned in their teens, so technically they were still teenagers, mentally as well as physically.

"It's okay," I assure Alice, "I don't mind." I tell her, before turning to Emmett. "My last relationship ended a bit over a year ago." I tell him, "we had to break it off because she was moving away."

"_She_?" Alice spoke up from beside me, and I turned back to face Alice, chin high.

"Yes, _she_. I'm gay." I tell her, firmly, before raising an eyebrow. "Is that a problem?"

"Oh no!" She gasps, shaking her head frantically. "Not at all!" She blabbers, "I was just surprised because I wasn't-" I hold up a hand, interrupting her flustered babbling.

"It's okay, seriously." I assure her, "I probably reacted a little too harshly, I'm just used to…" I pause, searching for the right words.

"She's used to people yelling at her that it's wrong, that she's queer, etcetera." Bella speaks up for me. I throw her a grateful look.

"Yes, Katie and I had to hide our relationship from everyone but our closest friends." I explain, "same-sex relationships weren't looked on very kindly at our school."

"What about pets?" Bree speaks up, not being very subtle about changing the conversation, but I'm grateful to her, "Edward said you have a rat?" I'm puzzled for a second, before I remember telling Edward that Enoch was a rat, rather then my beautiful sooty owl.

"Yes, his name's Enoch."

"Named after the oldest son of Cain?" Carlisle asks, sounding amused. My lips twitch. In the Christian bible, Cain's the eldest son of Adam and Eve, and the murderer of his brother.

"Enoch is a trouble maker." I explain, because the owl is. Enoch is haughty and has wicked sharp claws, and a sharp curved beak. He hates pretty much everything from other owls, to humans, and only just puts up with me, Ginny and Luna. "Rats are one of the only pets we were allowed at our boarding school, and I leant him to Ginny, for her final year. She and Luna were in the year under Harry, Ron and I. She's Ron's little sister, and one of my closest friends."

"Any other pets?" Bree asks.

"I used to have a cat. Crookshanks." I say, a soft smile on my face as I remember my squashed face half kneazle. "He passed away from old age a few months ago." Actually, my parents had him put down- with their memories wiped, 'Monica Wilkins' decided the cat was too vicious, and took him to the vet to get him euthanized. I was hunting for Horcruxes, on the run, during that time, and didn't find out until after the War. I was devastated by it, unable to believe it.

The rest of lunch passes by in casual conversation, Emmett entertaining us with humorous stories, and Rosalie entertaining us by sighing and rolling her eyes at her mate, every time he got especially into the story.

Standing by the front door, Bella hugs all the vampires good bye, and Alice walks over to me. My heart quickens slightly, as she stops with only a foot in between us. It seems… very close. Her breath washes over my face, cool and sweet. "Good bye, Hermione," she says, leaning forwards and gently wrapping her arms around me. I freeze, then relax into her embrace.

"Bye Alice." I say, and she presses her lips against my cheek, for a second, before she releases me, and steps back, an almost mournful look in her eyes. I'm startled by her actions, but don't show it, keeping my face neutral.

"See you tomorrow." Bella tells Alice, a bright smile on her face.

Tomorrow, I muse, as I follow Bella and Edward over to the silver Volvo, acutely aware of the pair of eyes, boring into the back of my skull. Tomorrow was my first day of muggle high school.

I have to say... I'm excited!

**A/N: I thought I should mention, the reason Rosalie is so nice to Hermione is because of Hermione's original reaction to her- Rosalie is very vain, remember, and Hermione being a touch tongue-tied by her appearance definitely stroked her ego (I'm not hating on Rosalie here, I like her as a character, I'm just explaining my reasoning, so you don't think she's too OC)!**


	9. Chapter Seven: Bella's POV

**CHAPTER SEVEN:**

**Bella's POV:**

Okay, it didn't take a genius to figure out Alice had a thing for my sister (of course, I could be wrong. Hermione's a genius, and I don't think she figured it out). It definitely didn't take Edward whispering, later when Hermione was having a shower, preparing for school tomorrow, that Alice had found in Hermione, what he had found in me.

My last term of school is about to start, and after I graduate, my whole world is going to open up. Alice promised the Volturi that I'd be Turned, and as much as Edward hates the idea of me becoming a vampire, it's a fact- I am going to become one. I don't like hurting Edward, and I know me wanting to become a 'monster' hurts him, but the idea of not being able to be with Edward forever is...

Well, I think my catatonic state last year showed exactly how well I coped with that. Not being with Edward was torture, plain and simple. I loved him. I was ready to give up everything for him. I was happy to give up everything for him. I knew that if he could become human for me, he would, and just as easily I would become a vampire for him.

I knew Hermione was going to live for a long time, after all the natural life span of witches and wizards is around the two hundred mark, but the idea of Hermione dying and me living without her is... the stuff nightmares are made out of. But with Alice having found her soul mate in Hermione, perhaps Hermione will be Turned too!

-

-

After lunch with the Cullen family, Edward, Hermione and I returned home, and Hermione disappeared up to her room while Edward and I filled out college applications. Edward insisted I fill one out for Dartmouth, despite my protests that there was no point.

Dinner was a simple affair, Edward disappearing home for a few hours while Hermione helped me cook a lasagna, using magic to hurry the process along, much to my delight and wonderment.

After dinner, Hermione hung around for a little while, and we talked about school tomorrow, before she, once again, disappeared up to her room. This worried me, but I knew that it would be her choice whether or not she wanted to talk to me. Her revelation of Fred's death shocked me, I have to admit. I'd never actually met the red-haired prankster, but I'd seen photos, and from the details in Hermione's letters, I could swear I knew him. I was fond of him.

And he was dead.

That night, as I snuggled up with Edward in bed, curled up in his arms with a thick comforter in between us so I didn't start shivering with cold from his rather low body heat, he spoke up. "You're awfully quiet tonight." He murmured.

"I'm happy about Alice finding her soul-mate in Hermione." I admit, which is half the reason. I am happy, but I'm also worried for Hermione, right now. Worried about just how much this War has scarred her. Edward smiles.

"Alice is in shock. Hermione's shield seems to be more potent then yours, as well as her mind been blank to me, Jasper can't feel her emotions and Alice can't see her in the future." He chuckles, "Alice isn't used to being taken by surprise."

"Is Alice happy about it?" I ask, and Edward nods.

"A mate is what makes this existence go from tolerable, to wonderful." He says, softly, not completely talking about Alice anymore. I blush, slightly, and Edward kisses the tip of my nose.

"I haven't told Hermione anything," I tell him, "I figure it's Alice's place to decide what to do. And..." I pause for a second, looking at the nape of Edward's neck, avoiding his eyes. "And Hermione's fragile at the moment. She's had a hard few years, and I think she needs to be eased into the idea that she has a vampire soul mate."

Edward uses his finger to gently tilt my head up. "What happened to her, Bella?" He asks, eyes creased with concern.

"It's not my place, Edward." I sigh, "and the truth is... the truth is I only know the basics. Hermione is very... strong. Stubborn. She doesn't like unleashing her personal demons onto other people, preferring to keep them bottled up inside."

"I know someone else who fits that description." Edward said, his lips twitching into a smile. I scowl.

"I thought I wore my emotions on my sleeve!" I complain, playfully shoving him.

"Just because your emotions are easy to read, doesn't mean you don't bottle them up." Edward says, and I sigh, rolling my eyes.

"Meanie." I pout, before yawning. "'Night Edward. I love you."

"I love you too."

I doze off, only waking when Edward's phone goes off at some ungodly hour of the night. "What is it?" I mumble sleepily, rubbing my eyes. I squint in the dark room, and see Edward standing near the window, talking quietly into his phone. Seeing the expression on his face, my stomach turns icy back flips and I sit up, throwing off my remaining sleepiness. "Edward, what is it?" I demand.

He hangs up the phone, and crosses over the room to stand next to me. "Alice had a vision," he explains, his voice quiet. My eyes widen in alarm.

"Oh god, what is it?" I whisper, my mind flooded with horrible scenarios. Edward hesitates, looking unsure, and I glare at him. "I swear to god Edward, if you don't tell me what's wrong, I'm ringing up Alice!" I threaten, and he sighs.

"It's Victoria." He says, and I gasp, falling back on my pillows. "She's back in town." My heart pounds furiously in my chest, and I struggle to inhale properly. Oh god. Oh god. Not that crazy bitch!

"E-Edward..." I stutter, reaching out to grip onto him with a vice like grip, "is she still after me?"

"Yes." He says, simply. I bury my head in the crook of his shoulder, letting my tears soak into his shirt. Why? Why is she doing this? I want to scream, but I know why. The Cullens killed her mate to save my life. She wants revenge, and the way she's decided to go about it is a mate for a mate.

"Shh, Bella," Edward soothes me, rubbing calming circles on my back. I take a few deep breaths, forcing my breathing to slow down, before I start hyperventilating.

"What are we going to do?" I ask Edward, looking up at him beseechingly.

"The only thing we can do," Edward says, his voice hard, "we're going to have to get rid of her." His words send a shiver down my spine, even though I know it's the only solution. With her still alive, everyone I know and love is in danger. She has to be stopped.

"Okay." I whisper, and Edward kisses me, slow and sensually. When we break away so I can gasp for air, he speaks up, his voice pained.

"I have to go help the others, but I'll see you at school tomorrow." He says, and I nod.

"Be safe." I tell him, sternly, and he smiles that crooked smile I love.

"I always am, love." He tells me, before vanishing out the window. I stare after him for a minute or two, before slumping back down on my bed. It feels empty without him here, and I throw off the thick comforter, no longer needing it's warmth.

It takes me nearly an hour to fall back to sleep, my anxiety about Victoria twisting knots in my stomach.

And for the second time that night, I'm dragged from my sleep. This time, it's by the sounds of tortured screams. Feminine tortured screams. Hermione! The memory of my conversation with Edward, his revelation that Victoria is back in town, makes me scramble out of bed so fast I trip and scrape my knees on the carpet. "Hermione!" I scream, and I sprint over to her bedroom and throw open the door, paying little mind to the fact if Victoria is in there, hurting 'Mione, there's nothing I can do to stop her.

I'm met with the sight of Hermione's thin form tangled in her sheets, coated in a thin sheen of sweat. There's no sign of anyone else in the room, and my sister is thrashing on the bed, wildly, with tears are rolling down her cheeks, and her right hand is closed like a vice around her left forearm. Her eyes are closed, tightly shut. She's dreaming, I realize, horrified.

"Please! We found it! We just found it!" Hermione is begging, between screams. I'm actually trembling with horror, and tears spring to my eyes. I could never truly empathize with how Charlie felt when I used to have those nightmares where I'd wake up to the sounds of my own screams until now. Until now I watch the sister I love in pain I can't do anything about, because it's trapped in her head.

"PLEASE!" Hermione screams, shrilly, "JUST KILL ME!" My blood runs cold, and instantly I break out of my shock and cross the room, grabbing Hermione's shoulders and shaking her, fiercely, shouting for her to wake up. It's around then that Charlie comes barging into the room, gun in hand, eyes sweeping the room for an intruder.

Hermione's eyes fly open and she pants, wildly, her eyes flickering around the room. "Shh, you're okay, you're okay," I tell her, my voice trembling with emotion, "oh god, 'Mi, you're safe now, I promise!" Hermione's eyes meet mine, and she slumps forwards into my arms, sobbing. Charlie comes and sits down on the bed, and looks at Hermione with a worried look in his eyes.

He doesn't know what to say, I can tell, but he's making an effort to at least be there for her. Her sobs slow and after a little while, her breathing evens out. She pulls away from me, out of my arms, and brings her knees up to her chest, cradling them.

"I... sorry. I get night terrors." She explains, for Charlie's sake. Even in her state of distress, her quick brain never stops working. "You... you can go back to bed now." She tells Charlie.

"Are you sure?" He asks, looking concerned. Hermione nods, and Charlie stands up, gun still in hand. "I... I care for you very deeply, Hermione, and if you ever need to talk, I'm here." He tells her, his face blushing as red as a tomato at the outward show of affection, before he beats a hasty retreat.

Hermione watches him leave, eyes filled with affection, before she turns and gives a wobbly smile, as I make no move to go anywhere. "You want answers, don't you?" She asks, softly, and I nod. She sighs.

"Hermione," I start, as gently as possible, "mind telling me what the hell happened? Because I know you don't get night terrors." Hermione looked down at her hands, expression twisting into one I didn't recognize on her face. Sorrow, mixed with anguish.

"The War was... difficult." She finally says, and her voice is choked. "I did a lot of things I wish I'd never had to do, and... some horrible things happened to me. I lost friends, family. People that I care about more then I can ever really express in words."

She bows her head, and I reach out and gently run my fingers over hers, still tightly clenched around her left forearm. "What's under your sleeve?" I ask, and her breathing hitches. She doesn't say anything, so I gently pull away her fingers, one at a time, then slide her sleeve up. She doesn't resist.

My breath catches in my throat and I stare at her forearm, horrified. Thick, knotted scars cover the pale stretch of creamy skin, scars spelling out a word- MUDBLOOD.

I know what Mudblood means- Hermione had explained it to me. It was a derogatory term referring to a witch or wizard whose parents were muggles; creatures of dirt, unworthy of magic. I know how much grief Hermione suffered because of this label, because of the people she was born to.

And someone had literally carved it into her flesh.

Another icy feeling washed through me, as I realized what this meant. The cutting in her arm hadn't been quick. Each cut had been deep, some maybe even to the bone. Someone had tortured Hermione.

_Please just kill me_, she had screamed in her sleep.

"Oh god." I whisper, staring at my sister. "What happened?" Hermione looks up and I almost flinch as I meet her tortured gaze.

She says one word, and one word only, but that one word is enough to turn my blood to ice, for me to pull her into my arms, and reassure myself that she's here, that she's alive and she's here.

"Bellatrix." Hermione whispers, her face pale and gaunt.


	10. Chapter Eight: Hermione's POV

**CHAPTER EIGHT:**

**Hermione's POV:**

Something I love about my sister? She knows when to stop prying.

After the 'big reveal', which consisted mainly of the one name I tried most not to say, or think, she crawled under the covers of my bed, and we both dozed off.

I woke up at seven, like I always did, and went to go have a shower, get dressed, do my hair and make sure everything was packed. Thanks to a little thing called magic, that was accomplished in less then fifteen minutes, giving me time to curl up on the couch and open up a book.

Some time near eight, a yawning, sleepy Bella made her way into the kitchen and made herself a massive cup of coffee. Still dressed in her pajamas with her normally straight hair a messy halo around her head, she slumped down on the couch next to me and drained about half the cup of coffee in one gulp.

"So… not a morning person?" I asked, a small smirk on my face. When she didn't immediately return my teasing with some of her own, I was worried. "Bella, what's wrong?" I demanded, closing my book and shifting around so I was facing her. Was she still worried about last night? I wondered, feeling a lead-like weight settle in my chest. I hadn't wanted to tell her, hadn't wanted to show her, but she deserved answers.

"It's… it's that crazy bitch Victoria." Bella speaks up, her voice soft. For a selfish moment I'm glad it isn't me that's upset her, but when she continues talking, that gladness soon vanishes, and the lead returns, "She's after me. Alice had a vision last night- 'Mi, she's back in town!" I stiffen, even as my mind starts racing thousands of miles an hour.

I've fought in a War, I faced my first life or death situation at age eleven- I was used to this sort of crap. But Bella? When I first heard what had happened to her at that ballet studio, I wanted to storm down to Forks and take her away, somewhere where I could wrap her up in cotton wool and keep her safe. Bella was sensitive, emotionally, because that's the type of person she was, and she was fragile, physically, because she's a muggle.

There is nothing bad or wrong about being a muggle. The problem is the fact they had no defenses against vampires. Although it smells appetizing, witch or wizard blood is poisonous to the vile creatures. One mouthful is enough to make the bloodsuckers lose consciousness, and there are spells and potions to deal with the venom. A muggle in the hands of a vampire, is like a worm in the beak of a bird… or something more poetic then that, but with the same sentiment.

"It's okay, Bells, I'll make sure you stay safe." I promise Bella, my voice shaking with fury. That Victoria bitch was dead! I was **not** losing anyone else! My mind raced ahead, planning my attack. First would be setting up wards to keep vampires out of the house, making sure to key in the Cullens, of course, so they wouldn't find themselves faced with an invisible wall when they tried entering Bella's house.

Second, I was going to ward the shit out of Bella and Charlie. There was only so much magical protection I could give them, and only so long said protection would last under vampire attack, but it would give me time to apparate to their side so I could kill the attacking vampire.

Finally, before we even left the house this morning, I was making Bella a Portkey to wear on her at all times, so she could disappear in a second if she needed to.

Mind made up, I got to my feet, pulling my wand out of my pocket- Charlie had already left earlier that morning, so there was no risk of him seeing anything. Bella stared at me wide-eyed. "What are you doing?" She asked, her voice shaking a touch.

"I'm setting up protection," I told her, as I strode toward the front door, "you may as well get ready for school, this will take me a while." She stared at me for a few seconds then nodded and downed the rest of her coffee before getting to her feet, and walking back to her bedroom.

I spent forty minutes applying each and every protection I could think of, first to the house, then to Bella. The Cullens wouldn't be affected by the wards, but anyone with malignant intent would be. The final spell I cast before we headed off to school was getting Bella to pick a necklace that she could always wear anywhere, tapping it and muttering, "_portus!_" The necklace glowed blue, momentarily, before fading back to its original silver.

Bella kept touching it, wide-eyed, after I fastened it around her neck. "All I have to do to make this necklace transport me to anywhere in the world, is to think of the place and say the activation word?" she asks, incredulously.

"Yes, and don't say it by accident." I warn her, "there's only so many people I can obliviate if your necklace starts glowing blue or you disappear into thin air." She seems a lot more relaxed then before, and she shoots me a cheeky smile.

"Don't tempt me." She smirks. I sigh.

Bella's ancient Chevy truck might have originally been red… I wouldn't know. I certainly couldn't tell by looking at it. The springs in the seats, with their peeling leather covers, were sticking into my butt, driving me crazy. I ended up casting a cushioning charm on the seat, purely because I was seconds away from _incendio_-ing the beast.

Bella was incredibly amused by my discomfort and annoyance, in the way only a sibling can be. "How can you stand this car?" I grumble. She shrugs.

"I can't help what I love." I snort at that.

"True. Your love life speaks for you, in that regard." Bella scowls and slaps me- Big Mistake! The minute she takes her hand off the wheel, the truck swerves, and I scream, grabbing my wand- I'd survived too much to die in a car accident! Bella screamed too, and yanked hard on the steering wheel, swerving us back into the middle of the road. She hit the brakes and we both clutched our chests and panted for a few seconds, trying to slow down our breathing.

Bella raised her face, sheepishly, to meet my glare. "I'm driving." I said, in a voice that left no room for argument. She meekly handed over the keys.

With me at the wheel, we reached the school in one piece _and_ in under fifteen minutes, and parked in the empty space next to the Volvo. "No one ever parks next to the Cullens' care," Bella comments, with a slight grin, "They're all too chicken."

"Right you are little sis!" A voice booms, and Bella's car door is yanked open by a grinning, burly vampire.

"Morning Emmett," Bella greets the oaf cheerfully, before lowering her voice. "Did you… catch her?" she asked him, and a shadow fell over his face.

"No." He said, voice grumpy, "but I almost got pulled apart by the wolves, and then the wolves nearly got pulled apart by a pissed off Rose." He adds, an impish grin on his face. Bella gasps and goes pale, and Edward appears beside his 'brother', glaring at him.

"Is it impossible for you to keep your big mouth shut?" He asked, icily.

"Edward, is Jake okay?" Bella demanded, face still pale with worry. Edward sighed and ran a hand through his messy bronze hair.

"The wolves are fine. Nobody got hurt, it was just a misunderstanding. Victoria," the way he spat out her name, like it was poison, made me like him a little, I have to admit, "was running along the treaty line. Made it nearly impossible to grab her. Emmett tried and went sailing over the treaty line, and one of the wolves, Paul, tried to attack him. Carlisle and Jasper calmed things down pretty quickly, but Victoria got away."

Bella slumps back in her seat, and Edward reaches out and runs his thumb along her cheek. "We'll get her, Bella." He says, softly, and she nods, before speaking up in a choked voice.

"I know… I just…I…"

"It's okay, Bella. I know." Edward says, simply, and as they stare at each other, with such love and understanding in their eyes, my chest aches a little, and I feel lonely, my thoughts straying slightly to Katie... had we given up to soon?

"Haven't you graduated?" I ask Emmett, looking past the love-sick couple, to the larger man grinning at the two, as a way of distracting myself, more then actual curiosity.

"Yup," he announced, cheerily, "but I couldn't miss your first day of school! I'm here for the day as an 'intern'." He says, holding up his fingers as quotation marks. I sigh, roll my eyes, and turn to open my door when it opens for me, and a smiling, dark-haired vampire that reminds me of a pixie (the ones from fairy tales, not real life- believe me, I know the difference!) stands before me, looking a touch shy.

Like any and all vampires, she looks gorgeous, but today she seems even more stunning then usual. Her hair is styled in neat curls around her head, and she's dressed in a pair of jeans that hug her slim figure, and a top that seems almost scandalously low-cut, showing off her absolutely _perfect_ breasts.

"Alice?" I ask, surprised.

"Hi Hermione," she greets me, in her cheerful bell-like voice, "I was wondering if you wanted me to show you around." She explained, before biting her lip. I frowned.

"Thanks, but don't worry about. Bella already said she would." I tell her, sliding out of the truck, onto the ground, completely missing her dejected expression.

"Actually, I've got to go speak to Mr. Banner," Bella says, an odd look in her eyes. Her lips twitch into a smile as I frown at her.

"What?" I ask, surprised, and more then a touch annoyed that she was ditching me on my first day.

"Yeah, sorry, I've got to do it before class." She says, hitching her backpack over her shoulder, "I'll see you later- bye 'Mi!" She grins, before hurrying off. I stare after her, somewhat puzzled.

"Okay, that was weird." I say, turning back to face the beautiful Alice. "I think I could use a tour, then, if it's not too much trouble." I tell her, and she beams, bouncing up and down on her toes.

"Awesome!" She gushes, before linking her arm with mine. I freeze for a second, shocked by the contact, but then relax, allowing it. Emmett is trailing after us, a hidden expression on his face, as Alice leads the way to the main office.

Shelley Cope, a middle-aged woman with graying hair and shrewd eyes, can't help but stare at me as she hands over my schedule, locker number and combination, and slip of pink paper I need to get all my teachers to sign before handing in at the end of the day.

"We've got nearly identical schedules!" Alice beams, as she looks over mine once I've finished examining it. Nothing seems to get the bubbly vampire down, I notice. She hasn't stopped smiling since the car park. I'm slightly less happy- stares and whispers follow me as we walk through the corridor, stopping only briefly at my newly assigned locker so I can dump the things I don't need.

I sigh, somewhat loudly, as Alice leads the way to the first class of the day, and one we share- Calculus. "Please tell me not everyone is going to be like this!?" I beg her, and she shoots me a pitying look, not needing me to explain what I mean by 'this'.

"Sorry." She answers, truly looking sorry, and I groan.

"Damn it! Damn it!" I curse, "I was looking forward to a year with no staring wherever I went!" Alice laughs, the sound like bells tolling.

"You definitely came to the wrong place then! Here in Forks you're fresh meat, and to add to that you're Bella Swan's twin sister that no one's heard of." She says, before looking at me, curiously. "Why was everyone staring at you at your old school?" _Because I was the best friend of the Chosen One? A member of the Golden Trio? The smartest witch of my age? I was the (however brief) girlfriend of a world famous Quidditch champion?_

"Because I was openly gay." I end up telling her, my lips tugging into a small smile. If only.

"Oh." Alice says, not looking like she knows what to say next. I smile.

"I'm proud of who I am. I'm never going to try and hide it." I tell her, and she smiles back at me, just outside the classroom. I'm not lying, just not quite using my statement in the right context. I'm proud to be a Muggleborn. I'll never try to hide it, no matter how much I'm discriminated against. I've proved my worth, over and over again.

"Ready to face the music?" Alice asks. I stare at the closed classroom door. It's only a high school maths class! I chastise myself- it's not like I'm breaking into the Ministry of Magic, or Gringotts or anything! My stomach flip-flops.

"No." I admit, even as I push the door open and step into the classroom.


	11. Chapter Nine: Bella's POV

**Chapter Nine:**

**Bella's POV:**

"Nicely done." Edward murmurs, referring to how I left Hermione with Alice. I smile at him.

"Thanks." His icy fingers find the necklace around my neck and he tilts his head, slightly. I'm pretty sure my heart quickens, and my palms begin to sweat. Can he sense something _off_ about it? I wonder, and I begin worrying my bottom lip with my teeth. "What's wrong?" I ask, my voice nervous. "Don't you like it?"

"It looks beautiful," he quickly assures me, sensing what he must perceive as my insecurity, "I've just… I don't see you wearing jewelry much."

"Hermione gave it to me for my birthday a few years ago." I shrug, unable to help my blush as I lie. "I wanted to, I don't know, show her that I appreciate it?" Edward presses his lips against my forehead.

Mistaking my blushing for embarrassment at my 'gesture', Edward smiles crookedly. "Hermione's lucky to have a sister like you." He says, and my blush deepens.

First class of the day is English, and I pull my battered copy of Wuthering Heights from my bag, placing it down on the desk in front of me. Edward copies my movements, sitting down right next to me. We're the first in the class, but as the minutes speed by, more and more people filter into the classroom, all of them talking about one thing and one thing only- Hermione.

I can only imagine how annoyed she is, thinking that she escaped the staring, whispering and pointing when she attended an ordinary school, only to find out that she was just as much a hot topic here, as she was at Hogwarts.

Jessica makes a bee-line over to me, followed closely by Eric and Mike, and I hold back my groan of annoyance. Edward reaches across, under the table, to gently squeeze my fingers with his deliciously icy ones, a pillar of support next to me.

"Oh my god, Bella! Why didn't you tell us you had a twin?" Jessica just about squeals, and I have to physically restrain myself from cringing at the sound.

"It's kind of a sensitive topic." I mumble, my cheeks immediately staining pink. Damn it, even with all the practice I've been getting lately, I still suck at lying- nothing like Hermione! She used to be as bad as me, but all that time with Harry and Ron rubbed off on her, and now _I_ practically believe her, when she talks about things like the 'Academy', and I know she's lying!

"Are you two identical?" Mike interrupts, his blue eyes shining at the thought of a single-Swan girl. "'Cause you look kinda different."

"We're dizygotic twins." I tell him. He kind of looks at me, puzzled, and I sigh. "No, Mike, we're not identical." I manage to refrain from adding _obviously_ to the end of my sentence.

"So what's the story?" Demands Jessica, "'cause I've heard she's, like, British! I mean, how did that happen?"

"She's lived in London for almost eight years." I tell Jessica, somewhat reluctantly, not going into any further details, hoping to subtly convey the message I don't really want to talk about Hermione anymore.

My subtly, unfortunately, is lost, as Mike immediately asks, "so, does she have a boyfriend?" I freeze, not sure what to answer. Technically, she's got a soul-mate, but she doesn't realize that yet. Also, she's gay, but I'm not sure if she wants me singing that from the rooftops.

I decide on acting hostile, to try and distract them from the question. "Damn it, guys, can you please stop pestering me? Want answers? Go find Hermione!" I snap, and they all kind of gape at the normally mild-mannered me, surprised by my angry outburst. Beside me, I can feel through our connected hands Edward's body shaking in silent laughter.

Mr. Banner chooses then to walk in, saving me from an indignant Mike and Jessica, and gets the lesson started. Edward slides a note across to me, on my desk, and I squint for a few seconds, trying to decipher his calligraphy.

_I thought they'd never leave you alone. I wonder how Hermione's going?_

Smiling, I tear off a corner of my exercise book and scribble down a reply: _she's used to the attention- she'll survive… just._

Despite the class focusing on one of my favorite books of all times, I can't help being distracted by thoughts of Hermione and Bellatrix, focusing on my sister's enemies, so I could avoid thinking about my own red-haired demon.

Bellatrix Lestrange was an insane, sadistic, murderous bitch. That much was clear from Hermione's letters. She was particularly fond of the cruciatus curse, which Hermione tells me causes an indescribable pain, worse then that a vampire suffers through the three days of turning, worse then Jane of the Volturi's Gift. Bellatrix tortured people into insanity, gleefully giddy at the thought of the suffering of another. She murdered gladly, her victim's including countless muggles killed for sport, and Harry's godfather, Sirius.

The very idea of Hermione at Bellatrix's mercy… well, I was shocked Hermione was alive. Bellatrix's insanity was perhaps only measured up to by her evil and her skill. Because the Dark Witch was skilled, one of the best of the time, according to Hermione, and to the history books she sent me to read, in hopes that I'd understand why she had to cut contact with me, just a few days after my seventeenth birthday.

Right before Edward and the rest of the Cullens left me.

Right before I needed her the most.

But she didn't know that, couldn't have known that, and by the time they'd gone, she too, was long gone. I hadn't just lost the Cullens, I'd lost my sister. My best friend and closest confident. And unlike the Cullens, who I knew were alive, I had no idea if Hermione was dead, or not. If she was free, in hiding, captured or… buried.

How close had I come to losing my sister? I wondered, the scars on Hermione's arm flashing in my memory. I closed my eyes for a few seconds to hide the tears that threatened to fall. It was during times like this I was relieved that Edward couldn't read my mind.

The edge of a scrap of paper nudges against the tips of my fingers, and I open my eyes to read the note Edward pushed onto my desk.

_Are you okay?_

Are you okay? Three simple words, one simple question, to which I should easily be able to reply with one simple answer. Yes, of course I'm fine. But I wasn't. I wasn't, and even if I couldn't tell Edward the entire truth, he was the love of my life and I didn't want to lie to him. I never wanted to lie to him.

_No._

I write back, and his next note is written at an inhumanely fast speed and placed before me before I can even blink.

_What's wrong?_

This is easier to answer, and still contains more then just a seed of truth. My hand shakes slightly as I write- I don't know how Hermione could stand constantly being in mortal danger, how she survived a year on the run. I had one crazy vampire after me, and I was ready to have a panic attack every time I saw someone with red hair.

_Victoria._

Nothing more needs to be said, Edward just reaches out and grasps my hand, gently, his golden eyes burning into mine, promising me that I will be safe.

Lunch can't come quick enough, and I hurry, alongside Edward, to the cafeteria to meet Hermione. She's already sitting with Alice at the Cullen's usual table, picking at her pasta salad morosely. In my impatience to talk to her, I forgo the cafeteria line, instead making a beeline straight for Hermione, to sit on the spare seat next to her.

She mock-glares at me, as I pick up one of the plastic forks in the middle of the table and begin tucking into her pasta salad. "What?" I ask, innocently, "I'm hungry!"

"Brat." She mutters, before turning back to Alice. "As I was saying, before we were so _rudely_ interrupted," she teases me, "That sounds like great fun."

"What does?" I ask, genuinely curious, and kind of excited- has Alice asked Hermione out on a date?

"Alice is taking me shopping in Port Angeles." Hermione explains, her face lighting up. I face-palm.

"Dear god," I mutter, pulling a horrified look onto my face, "she'll be unstoppable now!"

"Are you a shopper, Hermione?" Edward asks, as he slides into place across from me. Hermione rolls her eyes and I bite back a grin. Hermione's always loved shopping, mostly for things like books, not clothes, but she does like the occasional clothes shopping.

"A girl's allowed to want to wear nice things." She lectures us, and Alice nods.

"Absolutely," she agrees, "you should really take a few lessons out of your sister's book, Bella, you could learn a lot about fashion!" I take another mouthful of Hermione's pasta salad.

"I'm not gonna lie, Alice- I'm psyched that you've found someone else to torture with playing 'Bella Barbie'." I tell her, and she shoots me a sad-pout that melts my heart.

"You're saying you didn't like playing with me?" Alice asks, in a breathtakingly sad voice. I back track quickly, alarmed at her expression.

"Oh no, no, no!" I exclaim, "I love to, I just… I just…"

"She's teasing you Bella." Hermione grins, and Alice lets out a peal of laughter. I glare at them both.

"I should have never introduced you both." I grumble, good-naturedly.

"But then I'd make _you_ go shopping with me this Friday." Alice says, sweetly, and I admit defeat.

"Fine, I'd rather take the mocking then the shopping." I tell them.

"Look! You're a poet and you don't know it." Hermione teases me, and I'm glad to see she's cheered up somewhat- time to ask the Big Question.

"So, 'Mi, how's your day going?"


	12. Chapter Ten: Hermione's POV

**CHAPTER TEN:**

**Hermione's POV:**

_Dear Harry,_

_Merlin! People in this place seem to have nothing better to do then gawp at the new girl! Honestly, it's like being back at Hogwarts!_

_By the way, I was wondering whether you could send me all the books in the Black library at Grimauld Place on warding and vampires- don't ask, and don't worry; I'm not in danger. I promise I'll tell you if I think I am- scout's honor._

_I promise I'll come visit this weekend, and I might bring Bella with me. She's begging me to let her meet you, after I've told her so much about you._

_I love and miss you guys, so, so much._

_All my love,_

_Hermione_

Walking into the English classroom, every single eye in the room was immediately drawn to me, and everyone's jaws dropped open, including the teacher's- I wasn't sure if it was because I was new, I looked similar to Bella, or because my arm was still linked around Alice's, one of the 'snobby' Cullens.

Resisting the urge to sigh, I swallowed my nerves, nodded my thanks to Alice, and crossed over to the front of my room. I held my pink slip of paper out in front of the teacher and smiled at him, with as much warmth as I could muster.

"Hi, I'm Hermione Granger-Swan," I introduced myself, "I'm new and Ms. Cope said I needed to get all my teachers to sign this." The teacher shook away his shock, and smiled at me.

"Ah, yes, the newest Swan girl." He said, and he plucked the slip out of my hand, "I'll return this at the end of the lesson," he explained, before beaming, "I'm Mr. Varner."

"Nice to meet you." I said, automatically, unable to help my teacher's pet ways.

"Why don't you stand up the front and introduce yourself to the class." Mr. Varner suggested, and I bit back a smile, remembering Bella's letter complaining about how Mr. Varner was the only teacher who made her introduce herself on her first day.

I walked over to the front of the room and smiled at the classroom of students who were eying me with unabashed curiosity. "Hi, I'm Hermione, Bella's twin sister." I introduce myself, "I lived in London for the last eight years, and I've come here to Forks for my last semester of High School."

"Why?" asked one of the girls, a bleached blonde in the middle row. I was 60% sure that I recognized her as 'Lauren' from Bella's letters.

"Family matters." I tell the nosy girl, before turning back to face Mr. Varner, clearly dismissing all other questions. "Can I go sit down now, sir?" I ask, politely, and he nods.

"Of course. Why don't you sit next to Ms. Cullen, as you two seem to already be acquainted." He suggests. Alice is seated on the far left of the third row, and there are two free seats on her right, where nobody else has dared to sit.

She grins at me as I take the seat, directly by her side, and whispers, "You did much better then Bella on her first day- she was as red as a tomato!" I hide my grin as Mr. Varner starts his lecture, pulling out my notebook and pen. It feels weird using these, instead of parchment and a quill, I muse.

"That doesn't surprise me." I murmur, quietly, knowing that Alice can hear me just as well as if I was shouting at the top of my lungs. "I'm used to talking to crowds." I add.

"You become more and more mysterious every time we talk." Teases Alice, even as her eyes shine with curiosity. I hide another smile.

"How else am I supposed to keep you interested?" I return, playfully, and her eyes seem to glow for a second.

"Believe me, you don't need mystery to keep me around." She says, in a low voice, and I resist the urge to gulp, as I stare into Alice's darkening eyes. Okay, this was new.

"Ms. Granger-Swan, Ms. Cullen, something you want to share with the rest of the class?" Mr. Varner suddenly snaps, and I spin my head to the front of the classroom, to see Mr. Varner frowning at me.

"Sorry sir, Alice was just helping me with one of the theorems," I explain, "I haven't covered all of this at my old school." Beside me, Alice nods, her face the picture of innocence, nothing like the smoldering look she gave me before.

"Next time just raise your hand." Mr. Varner says, somewhat satisfied with our answer, before continuing with his lecture. I don't speak to Alice for the rest of the class, and just concentrate on my work.

Calculus seems similar to Arithmancy, in many ways, except a lot less complicated. I find myself enjoying the work, much to my pleasure, and am one of the first in the class to finish the set work.

The bell rings, and Alice smiles at me, as we gather up our things. "Ready for biology?" She chimes. I raise an eyebrow.

"Did you copy my schedule?" I ask her, only half joking, and she just shrugs.

"I guess you'll never know." I roll my eyes and hitch my bag over my shoulder and collect the pink slip, before following her out of the classroom. I don't really need her as a tour guide- after six years of having to navigate my way around Hogwarts, a high school as small as this is a piece of cake, but I'm finding myself enjoying her company too much to say so, and she scares away the eager students who keep trying to approach me.

Mr. Banner, unlike Mr. Varner, didn't try to get me to introduce myself at the start of the class, instead just quickly signed my form and shot me a smile. "If you're anything like your sister, you'll be fine in this class." He told me, and sent me to sit next to Alice.

"Are you partnerless in every class?" I ask her, amused, as we set out our notes. She shrugs.

"Nobody wants to sit next to us scary Cullens." She says, and I laugh.

"If only they knew."

The class is a Practical, giving us plenty of time to chat. "What were your parents like?" Alice asks, as she sets up the microscope, while I collect the slides. I stiffen slightly, then sigh, relaxing my body.

"Why don't we play a game?" I suggest to her, and her eyes shine with curiosity.

"What sort of game?" she asks.

"For every question you ask, I get to ask you one." I tell her, and she smiles.

"Deal. So what were your parents like?" she repeats.

"I miss them," I admit to her, "I mean, they weren't the best parents in the world, they were busy people, and were never around a lot, but they were my parents and I loved them. What about your parents?" Alice chewed on her bottom lip, which was adorable, I have to say.

"I don't remember anything from my human life," she says, "so I don't remember my parents. All I know is what I could find from birth records and death certificates. I know my dad had my mum killed, so I don't think I would have liked him very much, and I know that he had me admitted into an asylum. I was Turned by a vampire who worked there." Alice looks sad for a few moments, and the expression is so out of place on her always smiling face. "Have you ever dated a guy?" she asks, jolting me out of my musing, and I fight the urge to blush, realizing that I was staring at her face.

"Um, yeah, Viktor." I tell her, "I was fourteen at the time, and kind of experimenting."

"Did you sleep with him?" Alice asks, curiously.

"Yep. It was horrible," I shudder, "felt sooo wrong!" I then smile, "ha! That's two questions- I get to ask you two questions now!" Alice smiles back.

"That seems fair." she concedes.

"Okay, so have you ever slept with a guy?" I ask her, and she shakes her head.

"I've never had sex." She says, and I have the feeling that if she could blush, she would. I raise my eyebrows.

"Wow." She gives me a sheepish look.

"I've been waiting for my soul-mate." She explains, "I want my first time to be with the person I'm going to spend forever with."

"That's... that's actually really sweet." I tell her, feeling a little emotional from her statement. "Okay, my second question... what's your favorite color?" Alice shoots me an amused look.

"Really?" I shrug, a smile playing on my lips.

"I've got the advantage here- Bella's already told me lots about her best friend." I tell her, and Alice grins.

"Indigo." She answers, "what about you? What's your favorite color?"

"Red." I say, "or gold." What can I say? I'm a Gryffindor, through and through.

Our twenty questions continues through the rest of the class, and goes on through the next one. I learn that Alice loves to paint and to star gaze, that she loves squirrel blood best, even though there's only a mouthful, and that she loathes the game chess.

On our way to the cafeteria, I ask. "Favorite past time?"

"Ooh! Shopping!" She beams.

"Bella told me you loved shopping," I smile, "I love it too, except Bella is such a bah-humbug. She hates going shopping with me." Alice actually squeals in excitement.

"I'll take you shopping!" She beams, bouncing up and down on her heels, "I'd love to! When can you go? When do you want to go? Where do you want to go? Which shops shall we go to first?" I laugh.

"Slow down! I'm busy over the weekend, but Friday afternoon?" Alice's face shines.

"We can go up to Port Angeles, and maybe afterwards we could catch a movie!" She says, enthusiastically, as we line up in the cafeteria. I end up purchasing a pasta salad and apple juice, while Alice just grabs an apple, that will end up in the bin.

We find a table near the back, Alice's usual table I'm guessing, as the other students seem to have steered clear from it, and sit down. Bella enters the cafeteria a few seconds later, and makes a beeline straight over to us, sits down beside me, and helps herself to a mouthful of my pasta salad. I mock-glare at her and she widens her eyes, innocently.

"What?" she asks, "I'm hungry!"

"Brat," I mutter, before turning back to Alice, "As I was saying, before we were so rudely interrupted, that sounds like great fun."

"What does?" Bella asks, her eyes lighting up.

"Alice is taking me shopping in Port Angeles." I tell her, and Bella face-palms.

"Dear god," She mutters, pulling a horrified expression on her face, "she'll be unstoppable now!"

"Are you a shopper, Hermione?" Vampire boy... Edward... asks, as he slides into place, across from Bella. I roll my eyes.

"A girl's allowed to want to wear nice things." I lecture them, and beside me Alice nods.

"Absolutely," she agrees with me, "you should really take a few lessons out of you sister's book, Bella, you could learn a lot about fashion." She lectures my sister, as Bella takes another mouthful of my potato salad, before shooting the pixie vampire a cheeky grin.

"I'm not gonna lie, Alice- I'm psyched that you've found someone else to torture with playing 'Bella Barbie'." She tells Alice, who arranges her features into a heart-breakingly sad pout that immediately melts Bella's heart.

"You're saying you didn't like playing with me?" Alice asks, and an alarmed Bella quickly backtracks.

"Oh no, no, no!" she exclaims, "I love to, I just... I just..." as much fun as it is watching Bella stutter, I decide to intervene.

"She's teasing you Bella." I grin and beside me, Alice lets out a peal of laughter. Bella glares at us both.

"I should have never introduced you both." She grumbles.

"But then I'd make you go shopping with me this Friday." Alice says, in a sweet voice, and Bella visibly shudders.

"Fine, I'd rather take the mocking then the shopping." She tells us.

"Look! You're a poet and you don't know it." I tease her. She grins at me, and speaks in a sugary voice.

"So, 'Mi, how's your day going?" It's my turn to face-palm.

"Merlin, it's downright sodding crazy." I sigh, "whispers and staring everywhere I go! God, it's like I never left!" I exclaim, and she laughs.

"Gotta love Forks." She says, "small towns really are the best."

"Best my arse." I mutter.

"What have you got next?" Bella asks, eating another mouthful of my potato salad. I look down to see it's more then half gone and scowl at it, before shoving my plate over in front of Bella, and stealing Alice's apple- she's not going to eat it, so someone may as well.

"Double Sport." Alice answers for me, "I've got it too. Is Hermione any better then you?" she teases my twin, and Bella laughs.

"Hermione's definitely much fitter then I am!" That's true- my reflexes are outstanding, from all my dueling, both practice and during battles, and I can move quicker then most other people. And unlike my sister, I suffer no problems with my equilibrium.

Lunch is over before I know it, and Alice and I head over to the gym. The P.E. teacher, Coach Clapp, gives me a cautious look as he hands over a P.E. uniform. "So... you anything like your sister?" He asks, in a fake-casual voice. I grin.

"Don't worry, sir, I won't knock anyone out." I assure him, and he sighs in relief.

"Thank god, one Bella is enough." He says, before sending me off to get changed. Alice is chortling beside me, and I'm smiling with her until I recognize a significant problem- the P.E. uniform has short sleeves.

My gaze is instantly dragged to my forearm and I stare at the scarred skin, hidden under my jumper, with something abject to horror. "Damn it!" I hiss, and Alice looks at me, curiously.

"What's the matter?" She asks, and my brain scrambles for an excuse.

"I feel the cold really easily," I settle with, not able to come up with anything better, "I'm not to fond of the short sleeves."

"You can borrow my jersey." Alice suggests, and I smile at her, gratefully.

"I'd like that." I tell her, and she digs around in her bag, before pulling out a school jersey. Sighing in relief, I turn away from her to get changed as quickly as I can, making sure that my forearm is out of her view, and everyone else in the changing room's, at all times.

With Alice seemingly glued to my side, the other students have yet to bother me- it helps that Alice glares at them every time they try. Tomorrow, I decide, I'm going to cast a notice-me not charm over myself, vampires be damned.

In sport Coach Clapp sets us some warm up drills, that consist mostly of tossing basket balls to each other, keeping a careful eye on me, until he's satisfied that I'm not a danger to the class. Alice, who's partnered up with me, of course, finds this amusing, and giggles every time his eyes stray over.

I enjoy the sport, letting my body relax, and the tension drain out of my body as I participate in some fun competition. I prove to be quite adept at basketball, my reflexes, agility, speed and endurance playing to my favor, and Coach Clapp is suitably impressed, giving me a warm smile and clap to my back at the end.

Changing back into my jeans and sweater, I return Alice her jersey with a thankful smile. We both make our way to our lockers then to the cars, where Bella and Edward are wrapped around each other, apparently trying to suck the tongue out of each other's mouths. "See you tomorrow Alice." I tell the pixie vamp with a bright smile. She smiles back.

"Bye Hermione, bye Bella." I tap Bella on the shoulder, and when she just flashes me the finger, her mouth not leaving Edward's, I grab the keys out of her pocket, and step up into the old Chevy.

"I'll leave without you!" I yell out, over the roar of the engine as I start the truck, and a reluctant Bella releases Edward, whispers something to him, and climbs up into the passenger seat, pouting at me. I just grin and step on the accelerator, happy to drive out of the school in silence, reflecting over my first day.


	13. Chapter Eleven: Bella's POV

**CHAPTER ELEVEN: **

**Bella's POV:**

We arrive home to a surprising sight- for me anyway. Hermione just rolls her eyes and sighs. Standing in front of our house, with their arms crossed and brows drawn, are three people who I've never met but recognize from their photographs- Harry Potter, Katie Bell and Fleur Delacour-Weasley.

Hermione exits the car and walks over to them. "Seriously guys?" She asked.

"Vampires, Hermione?" Harry counters, before pulling her into his arms, hugging her tightly. Hermione's face breaks into a large smile, as they part, and she turns around and gestures to me.

"Guys, this is my sister Isabella, but you better call her Bella. Bells, this is Harry, Katie and Fleur." I feel my cheeks tinge pink slightly, and I smile shyly at Hermione's friends (and ex-girlfriend, who's looking very much like she'd like to eat Hermione up- sex eyes, Jess calls them).

Katie is pretty enough, I guess, with long dark brown hair, creamy, slightly olive-tinted skin and dark eyes, but standing next to Fleur... well, Fleur is easily just as gorgeous as Rosalie, if not more, with stunning waist-long silvery blonde hair fanning out behind her, even without any wind, captivating deep-blue eyes and an enchanting tall, willowy figure. She's radiant, her skin seeming to emit a moon-like glow and she seems to glide, rather then walk, as she steps forward to greet me in a throaty French accent.

"'Ello Bella, eet iz a pleasure to meet you." She smiles, flashing pearly white teeth.

"Hi." I greet her, fighting the blush that threatens to flood my cheeks. I may be one hundred percent attracted to boys, but Fleur is stunning.

"It's great to finally meet you!" Harry grins, also stepping over, though he sweeps me into his arms, giving me a firm yet gentle hug. Harry's hair kind of reminds me of Alice's, both by its inky black color and the fact it is sticking up at odd angles.

He's an attractive young man, with his large almond-shaped green eyes and leanly muscled figure, although like Hermione, he seems a touch… undernourished, from the stress of a year on the run, hiding, with the responsibility of the Wizarding world sticking squarely on his shoulders. But one of his most distinctive features is the famous (in the Wizarding World) lightning-shaped scar on his forehead; a constant reminder of the curse Voldemort shot at him as an infant.

Katie greets me with a smile and a nod, though most of her attention is fixed on Hermione, and vice versa. My heart sinks slightly as I think of Alice. Vampires are incredibly territorial of their mates, and if anything that happens between Hermione and Katie, Alice will be heartbroken. I vow, then and there, to make sure that the two do not get back together- starting with an immediate distraction, to break up their lovey-dovey eyes.

"Um, not that I'm not happy you guys are all here, but may I ask why?" I speak up, one eye on Hermione, one eye on the visitors. "I thought Hermione was visiting you on the weekend." I continue. Hermione sighs in exasperation, turning away from Katie and rolling her eyes at Harry.

"I asked him to search the Black Library for books on vampires and warding," she says, giving Harry a stern look, "I specifically said that I was in _no danger_." Harry grins, unperturbed by her glare.

"And I had no faith that you were telling the truth." He says. "Katie and Fleur decided to tag along when I said I was coming to check out the situation." Hermione groans.

"Damn you and your hero complex." She mutters. Harry scowls at her.

"I do not have a hero complex!" He complains. Both Katie and Fleur laugh at this, along with Hermione, and Harry sighs and runs a hand through his already messy hair. "Okay, fine, maybe I have a tiny rescuing people thing." He mutters.

"Don't vorry, 'arry, Ginny thinks eet iz adorable. It defineetly turns 'er on." Fleur states, bluntly, and Harry's cheeks go bright red, even as Katie and Hermione burst out into laughter.

"Yeah, yeah, let's go inside. I'm famished." Harry mutters. I go to pull the house keys out of my pocket, but Katie just flicks her wand at the door, and it swings open. Right- magic, I think, following Hermione and her friends into our home.

The fact that when Hermione contacted Harry about the vampire stuff she said not to worry, that it wasn't a problem, makes me wonder if she really meant it- was Victoria really not going to be a problem? I couldn't help my heart soaring at the thought- I had less then a term left of high school; I'd like to enjoy it, without the thought of a murderous vampire stalking me with the intention of torturing me… to death

Once we're inside, Hermione leads the way to the kitchen and pulls a packet of cookies out of the pantry, while Harry turns on the kettle. Katie and Fleur lean against the kitchen bench, and I stare at them all in wonderment of how easily the new arrivals have made themselves at home.

"Hey Bella, where are the tea bags?" Harry asks me, smiling. I jolt slightly and blush, realizing I was staring at them all.

"Um, I'm not sure if we have any," I admit, sheepishly, as I hurry over to the cupboard, opening it up and searching for the elusive tea… stuff. "Charlie and I are kind of coffee drinkers." I explain.

"Hermione must fit right in then." Harry elbows Hermione, grinning, and she grins back. I can see the affection shining so brightly in her eyes- I knew Harry meant a lot to Hermione, but I never realized just how much! They seem like brother and sister, more then just best friends.

I manage to find a few stray tea bags near the back of the cupboard, and Harry swiftly makes three cups of tea, while Hermione pours two coffees, for us two Americans. We all sit down in front of the TV, and I'm glad the house is in a semi-clean state.

"So, Hermione… spill." Harry says, "why the vampire research? And why all the wards around the house, and on your sister?" He asks, nodding at me. Hermione sighs.

"It's a long story," she says, "but… in short, there's a vampire called Victoria currently after Bella, in revenge for Bella's vampire in-laws to-be killing her mate." A short silence follows her words, in which I turn tomato red, ducking my head slightly to hide behind my bangs, and three pairs of incredulous eyes, green, blue and brown, turn to me.

"Vampire _in-laws to-be_?" Harry asks, finally, incredulously.

"An animal-drinking vampire mated on Bella." Hermione explains.

"For a muggle, you sound like you 'ave a veery eenteresting life." Fleur says, a smile playing on her lips. I'm not sure whether to be offended or not, so I just nod back at her, my lips tugging into a weak smile. Hermione snorts.

"That's an understatement- she's trapped in a love triangle with a vampire and a wolf-shifter." She tells them.

"Hermione!" I exclaim, eyes wide.

"What?" She grins, "a blind person could tell that Jacob is head over heels for you!"

"Ahh, teenage drama!" Fleur smiles, "oh 'ow I loved high school!"

"That makes one of us." Harry says, dryly.

"Yes, there was only at least two attempts on your life each year." Hermione laughs, "I have to say, Harry, you definitely made high school interesting."

"I could have done without last year." Harry says, with a somewhat weary sigh. Hermione's face becomes blank, closed off, while Katie drops her head to look at her lap and Fleur's eyes glisten with what looks suspiciously like tears.

"It's over now." I speak up, not sure whether it's my place or not, but wanting to say something to soothe the troubled teens surrounding me. Harry smiles at me, sadly.

"Yes. The War itself over." He says, and we all hear what he doesn't add- that the damage is still done.

"How… how's Ron?" Hermione asks, hesitantly.

"He's struggling." Harry says, grimly, "he's not taking your sexual orientation too well. He's still convinced that you both belong together."

"I do not get dat." Fleur says, with a toss of her head. I watch, entranced, as her silver hair moves and shimmers with the movement. "You 'ave never showed any intereeest. You argued like cats and mice 'alf the time!"

"Cats and dogs, Fleur." Hermione corrects the French veela, with an amused smile, "we argued like cats and dogs." Fleur turns up her nose, haughtily.

"Eet iz a rideeculous saying, anyvay." She sniffs. Hermione and Harry shake their heads, grinning at each other.

"Of course it is Fleur." Harry snickers. Fleur turns her dangerous glare onto him, and he gulps, shrinking back into his seat. "I mean… it totally is?" he says, and she nods, satisfied, turning away, a slightly evil smirk on her face. Hermione's mirth has turned to Harry, and he pouts at her, playfully.

They remind me of a family, those three- I'm not including Katie, she seems like the outsider of this bunch… and that's not just my prejudice speaking… well, it's _mostly_ not just my prejudice speaking. Fleur, Harry and Hermione have a thing going on, it reminds me of what I have with Edward, Alice and Emmett.

Family.

"So what are we doing about crazy vampire chick?" Harry asks. Hermione raises a dainty eyebrow.

"'We'?" she asks. Harry shoots her an incredulous look.

"Hermione- it's me." He says, slowly, as if talking to an idiot, "hero complex, remember?" Hermione groans, slumping back in the chair.

"You'll be the death of me." She says, with a sigh. "Okay, ground rules for anyone staying- no using magic in front of the shifters, the vampires, my bio-dad and obviously the muggles, no mentioning of the fact we're witches or wizards and no letting on that you know about vampires and shifters. Deal?"

"Deal." Harry announces, before checking the odd watch on his wrist, and standing up. "I'll make dinner while you do your homework." He grins, before meandering off to the kitchen.

"I can't stay long." Katie speaks up, a regretful look on her face, "I've got work, but you're coming to London on the weekend, right? We can catch up then." She says, hopefully. Hermione smiles at her, while I try not to glare.

"Sure." Katie stands up, and Fleur follows suite.

"I 'ave to return to ze Weazleys, but I vill be back soon." Fleur says, her tone regretful, before her face turns stern, "'ou stay safe, 'ermione!" she orders my sister.

"I promise." Hermione smiles, before sighing and standing up, walking over to them. "You two better head off before Bella's vampire comes over." She says, "I'll vanish your scent."

"Good bye Hermione." Katie says, wrapping her arms around Hermione. They seem to hug for a long time. Seeing Katie's hands wrapped around my sister makes my stomach crawl and I look down at the floor so the dark haired witch can't see my glare.

"I mizz 'ou already." Fleur pouts, pulling Hermione out of Katie's arms into hers. Hermione snuggles into the part-Veela's embrace, a soft look on her face. Katie appears to be grinding her teeth together, not happy about Hermione been stolen from her. Ha! I think, gleefully.

"Bye Bella." Katie says to me, and I jerk my head up to shoot her a strained smile.

"Bye Katie."

"Au revoir, Bella." Fleur smiles at me, walking over and hugging me. I'm surprised for a second, then relax, deciding that witches and wizards seem very fond of physical affection. Fleur smells better then all the Cullens except Edward, an indescribable scent, like sunshine and snow.

"Bye Fleur." I tell her. Then I literally scream as both Katie and Fleur pull their wands out of their pockets, twist slightly on the spot and vanish with a loud 'crack'. "HOLY SHIT!" I yell, not expecting that in the least, and Harry appears in the doorway, wand drawn, a fierce look on his face.

"It's okay, we're fine, Bella just saw the others apparate." Hermione assures him, before gently grabbing my shoulders. "Relax Bella." She says, "deep breaths."

"They vanished… they just vanished!" I say, weakly, and Hermione gives me a wicked grin.

"How do you think I got here?" she asks me, "and how do you think we're getting to London on the weekend?"

"Oh no!" I moan, collapsing back down on the couch, as my legs are feeling a touch on the wobbly side. "Oh no!"

"Oh yes." Hermione laughs, and I bury my face in my hands.

Oh God.


	14. Chapter Twelve: Hermione's POV

**CHAPTER TWELVE:**

**Hermione's POV:**

I probably should have expected Harry's visit, I think, ruefully, as I help Bella set up the dinner table. Charlie is shooting Harry suspicious looks and Harry is smiling at him, not at all affected. After facing off the most evil wizard of all time, I guess fathers don't faze Harry, like they do most teenage boys.

The introduction between Charlie and Harry went well… I think. I just told him that Harry was my best friend, and I was wondering if he could stay with us for a few weeks. I then reminded Charlie that I was gay, and told him Harry is engaged. Charlie told Harry he could sleep on the couch, the 'not in Hermione's room' fully implied. Harry took it in his stride, all 'yes sirs' and 'of course sirs'.

And now he was setting out the magnificent delicacy he'd cooked us up- a triple cheese lasagna, with chocolate fondants for dessert. "It looks divine!" Bella enthused, having long-since recovered from the shock of seeing two people vanish into thin air.

Me? I was still reeling a bit from Katie's presence. Why had she come? The looks she was giving, the winks, small squeezes, whispered words, all said that she wasn't visiting (or checking up on me, as their visit could better be described as) as a 'friend'. I think the something more was not so subtly implied.

Did I want to get back with Katie? Was she still gorgeous, yes, but… I wasn't ready to date, yet. And even if I was, I'm not sure that she'd be the one I wanted to date. Katie's _fun_. She's not _serious_- and I think I'm at the point were I want to start looking for _serious_.

The War aged us all, and it's a well-known fact in the Magical World that witches and wizards tend to marry young- some purebloods are promised to each other before they can even crawl!

I'm eighteen, and most of my classmates are either in a serious relationship, engaged, or married. Lavender and Dean, Cho Chang and Cormac McLaggen, Parvati and Anthony Goldstein are all married, for instance, and all my friends except George are either in a serious relationship or engaged.

I sit down next to Harry at the table, while Bella sits across from him, next to Charlie. "So, Harry," Charlie begins, in a deceptively friendly voice, "how long have you known this fiancé of yours?"

"Eight years, sir. We were close friends for the first six years, before we started dating two years ago and we've never looked back." That was close to the truth, Hermione smiled, ducking her head down so Charlie couldn't see.

"What does your fiancé think of you being down here, anyway?" Charlie asks Harry.

"She's actually overseas at the moment, in Scotland." Harry explains, "she goes to the same school as Hermione and I did, and she's got a few months left before graduation. We catch up with each other every weekend, but she boards there during the week."

"And what's this lass's name?" Charlie continued his interrogation.

"Ginevra Weasley, though the only one who can get away with calling her that is her mum, Molly." Harry grins, "everyone else calls her Ginny."

"Weasley, huh? Isn't that the name of your other friend?" Charlie asks me, and I look back up at him and smile.

"Yes, Ginny is Ron's younger sister. She was in the year below us." Charlie's jaw twitches as a thought strikes him.

"And exactly how old is this Ginny?" he asks, pinning Harry with a fierce look.

"Eighteen, sir, she's only ten months younger then Ron." Harry says, quickly. Now that _is_ a lie- Ginny's eighteenth is coming up, but in the Wizarding World, she came of age at seventeen. Ron is thirteen months older then her. Charlie looks a touched appeased, knowing Ginny isn't 'underage'.

"You two been living together, when she's not in school?" he asks.

"Yes sir." Harry nods. "We've got a small house together in Devon." He elaborates. Charlie whistles through his teeth.

"House, huh?"

"Er, yeah, my parents passed away when I was very young," Harry mumbles, embarrassed about his wealth, like he always is, "they left me some money." Charlie looks a touch more sympathetic towards Harry now, which usually drives Harry mad, but I think he's slightly relieved the interrogation has stopped. Instead, he turns to face Bella and fixes her with a stern look.

"Don't be getting any ideas about marrying young, missy," he warns her. Bella instantly blushes red as a tomato.

"Ch-dad!" she hisses, mortified. Charlie gives her another stern look.

I decide now's as good a time as any to bring up the weekend plans, and I shoot Charlie a winning smile. "I'm thinking about flying over to England Friday night, and bringing Bella with me so she can meet all my close friends," I tell him, "it's a seven hour flight, which gives us plenty of time to see everyone, before returning Sunday evening. I thought that now would be a better time to do it, when we're not frantically studying for finals."

Charlie narrows his eyes, slightly. "Will Cullen be going with you?" he demands, turning his body so he's facing Bella. Bella sighs.

"No dad, _Edward_ will not be coming with us." She says. Charlie looks pleased.

"Then that's fine. Do you need money for the tickets?"

"It's my treat." I tell him, and he purses his lips.

"Are you sure?"

"I've worked my arse off all last year," I explain, "I've got enough money saved for a trip there and back for Bella and I." The Ministry gave Harry, Ron and I each a rather large sum of money, along with Order of Merlin First Class's, in thanks for the 'great service we provided Magical Britain'. But at the same time, the money's unnecessary, as a simple apparation, Floo or Portkey will get us there in less then a minute, for no cost at all.

The rest of the dinner passes with light conversation.

Later that night, Harry casts a glamour on the sofa, so that to Charlie, Bella and even the vampire boyfriend's eyes it looks (and smells and sounds) like Harry's sleeping there, while he gets in the bed, beside me. I snuggle into his warmth, and let out a small sigh, feeling his arms around me. There's nothing sexual in the way he's cradling me, it's purely protective, loving.

"How have you been sleeping?" He asks, after casting a few non-verbal silencing charms. With a vampire in the house, you can never be too careful.

"Not great." I admit. Harry's fingers gently run along my left forearm.

"Nightmares about Her?" he asks, and I nod, blinking away tears. There's no need to specify who 'Her' is.

"'Course." I sigh.

"Feel like a fly?" he asks, and I twist around to face him, smiling.

"And here's me thinking you'd never ask." I tease, softly.

We get out of my bed, and I ease open my window, before clambering as elegantly as possible out onto the ledge and launching myself in the air, shifting into my eagle form. I spread my wings and flap once, twice, before gliding over to the roof, above my window, and perching, waiting for Harry. Harry copies my movements, jumping out of the window and shifting mid-air.

My Animagus form is beautiful, but it has nothing on Harry's. Where my best friend was, there was now a phoenix, with crimson feathers on his body and a golden tail as long as a peacock's. Harry's claws and beak are gleaming gold and his eyes are as green as the Killing Curse, and look out of place on the beautiful bird. I launch back into the air, and Harry glides beside me, his scarlet body feathers glowing faintly in darkness.

A phoenix form makes sense for the Boy-Who-Lived. Harry has 'died' twice, and almost died several more times, but he always came back, he always lived. Like a phoenix, who bursts into flames and is reborn from the ashes. Harry first transformed a month after the Battle of Hogwarts. He found a much-needed peace in the meditation required to become an Animagus, and unlike most witches and wizards who required years of practice, transforming just came naturally to him.

Together we soar above Forks, above the ocean, the forest, the town and the reservation. Harry opened his beak and sang. Like all phoenix singing, it was soul-touching, having similar effects to Madam Pomphrey's Warming Potions, instilling courage and calm in all those who heard it.

If eagles could cry, I would probably be bawling from the raw beauty of the song.

That night, for the first time in a long time, I slept without dreaming.

Arriving for my second day of school, I cursed as I stepped out of the Chevy, realizing that I'd forgotten to cast a notice-me not charm on myself. All eyes once again snapped in my direction, and because there was no Alice there yet to scare them off, I was instantly waylaid by three people in particular, who immediately introduced themselves as Mike Newton, Lauren Malloy and Jessica Stanley.

Mike Newton was a baby-faced blonde guy of average attractiveness, Jessica 'Jess' was a short, curly haired brunette with a spattering of cute freckles and a curvy figure, while Lauren was indeed the bleached blonde who'd questioned me in class yesterday.

"So, Hermione, enjoying Forks?" Mike asked, stepping way too close then I was comfortable with. I could almost feel my hackles raising, and my fingers twitched towards the pocket that held my wand. Seeming to sense my agitation, Bella's hand shot out and closed around my wand-hand, and she started dragging me away from the three.

"Sorry, I need to show Hermione where the library is before class starts, you'll have to talk to her later." Bella says, and I follow her, partially grateful for her intervention, and kind of annoyed that I couldn't curse the spit out of the irritating boy.

And then Mike basically jogs to catch up to us, and bumps shoulders with me in what I think is supposed to be friendly? Or maybe flirty? I tense up, my fingers tightening around Bella's hand. I see her wince out of the corner of my eye, but I'm mainly focused on the boy beside me. "How about I accompany you ladies?" He says, in a voice that drips with grease. I want to shudder.

Maybe it's because I'm gay that I find his advances so repellant and downright repulsive, but all I know is that I'm definitely running out of patience, and that my gag reflex isn't going to be able to hold up for much longer.

I open my mouth to tell Mike _exactly_ what I think of him _accompanying_ us ladies when suddenly Alice is there, in between Mike and I, her arm curled around my waist, her eyes narrowed on the unfortunate human who has incurred her wrath. "Why don't you go flirt with someone who's actually interested, Newton." Alice just about growls, her eyes dark as coal.

Mike gulps and takes a step back, looking like he's about to wet his pants. Alice smiles, a predatory smile that shows all her glistening white teeth. "Stay away from Hermione." She tells him, and he nods.

"Yeah, I… I will!" He promises, face white as a sheet, his instincts screaming at him what his brain can't- that Alice is dangerous. He quickly retreats, and I turn a grateful smile to Alice. I don't even notice that Bella has let go of me and is wrapped around her vampire.

"My pixie in shining armor." I say to her, playfully, even as I wonder if she's going to remove her arm from where it's currently resting around me, its delicious coolness seeping through the thin material of my peach-colored sweater, her hand almost caressing my hip, as it rests there casually. I feel perverted, really, when I find myself hoping that she doesn't.

Alice looks breathtaking, her hair straightened and framing her face like a curtain of silk, make-up carefully applied to her marble skin. She's wearing a tiny skirt that hugs her butt and calves, delectably, a pair of black tinted stockings, black Mary Janes and a light colored blouse is stretched tightly over her breasts and hips.

I find myself having to fight back the urge to gulp and a tingling heat flares in my groin. Alice looks up at me from under her thick lashes, smiling sweetly. "Will you allow this knight to accompany her Ladyship to class?" she asks, perfectly mimicking a British accent, that's just as good as, if not better, then mine.

"I would be delighted to, my good sir." I tell her, and she laughs.

"How was your night?" She asks, as we walk towards first our lockers, then to our first class- Art with Miss Galbraith, an enthusiastic, flighty, extremely cheerful young woman with red curls and soft moss-colored eyes. She's wearing a long hippy skirt, and a tie-dyed shirt.

Art wouldn't usually be my thing, but I wanted to try something different, and apparently art therapy is also quite good for treating depression… because I'm not kidding myself- before I moved here, to Forks, I would have diagnosed myself with it in a second. Since I've moved, things have started to look up. It still feels very touch and go, and the almost-episode with Mike before shows just how much I'm struggling keeping both my emotions and my anxiety in check, but for the first time since the War finished, I've started feeling… lighter.

Alice and I find seats near the back of the class, and Alice pulls out her last sketch to continue working on, a portrait of her family that looks like it was drawn by a professional. "Why don't you just draw me something so I know where you're at?" Ms. Galbraith suggested and I nodded.

"You can use my art supplies." Alice smiles, and I nod at her, gratefully.

I stare at the blank canvas and let my mind run free. I pick up a piece of charcoal and let my hand sweep over the page. I end up sketching Harry's Animagus form, still so fresh in my mind.

By the end of the class, two hours later, a phoenix is soaring out of the flames, its wings spread, beak open, head tossed back. The only color in the whole portrait is the phoenix's vivid green eyes, the rest is black charcoal against crisp white paper.

"That's gorgeous." Alice comments, softly. I smile at her, ruefully, and motion towards her perfect portrait. So far she's captured the essence of her 'father', 'mother', Rosalie and Emmett on the canvas, their golden eyes so piercing, staring back at me, Carlisle in his doctor's coat, Esme in an apron, Rosalie dressed in only the highest fashion and Emmett with his arm slung around his mate's shoulders. "Decades of practice." She dismisses her work, eyes glued to mine.

It's flattering, actually, her fascination. Miss Galbraith seems pleased with it, too, and I head out of the classroom feeling both accomplished and reminiscent.

Our next class is English with Mr. Mason, one of the only classes I share with Bella (and boy-toy).

Bella sits on my one side, and Alice on the other. "Have you told Alice about Harry yet?" She asks and Alice stiffens.

"Harry?" she asks, through clenched teeth.

"Yeah, Hermione's BFF from boarding school." Bella says, a cheeky grin on her face, "he's really cute!"

"Yes, but he lacks a few things." I tell her, pointedly.

"Such as?"

"His 'pair' are a little too low, for one." I say, dryly, "and I prefer cats to snakes." Alice starts smiling, obviously getting my message, but Bella plays dumb.

"Huh?" She asks. I sigh, not sure why she's so persistent.

"Boobs, Bella. Boobs and a…" I jerk my chin in a downward motion, and she grins.

"Oh!" she says.

"So why is Harry visiting?" Alice asked, seeming much calmer. A thought struck me, as my mind quickly assessed her behavior. Wait… did Alice have a thing for me?

Don't be ridiculous, Hermione! I scolded myself, with an inner eye-roll. Jeez! Are you that starved for romance that you're looking for non-existent hints from a _vampire_?!

"Harry's here to help me deal with… losing my mum and dad." I say, quietly, looking at my lap. "He lost his parents when he was younger. They were murdered in front of him."

"Poor thing." Alice says, and Edward nods softly in agreement, his face lightly pained.

"Is he coming to England with us?" Bella asked.

"You're going to England?" This is Edward, his full attention suddenly on Bella.

"Yeah, over the weekend with Hermione." She nods, a familiar stubborn look settling onto her face.

"What time are _we_ leaving?" He asked.

"_We_ aren't leaving." Bella says, sternly, "Edward- this is me and Hermione's weekend."

"Bella, that's ridiculous!" Edward exclaims, "Do you know how dangerous it could be? And I'll be nowhere near you if you need me!"

"I survived seventeen years without you, Edward, I think I'll survive a weekend with my sister!"

"No Bella! I forbid it!" Edward snapped. Bella literally reared back in her seat.

"You _forbid it?_ You FORBID IT!" Bella's voice rose above a hushed whisper, causing the teacher's attention, as well as the class, to snap over to her.

"Something you want to say, Miss Swan?" Mr. Mason asks, acidly. Bella stands up, looking furious.

"Yeah, actually- I need to go." She snaps, before spinning around and literally storming out of the classroom. Everyone stared at her, wide-eyed, and I waited until the class had settled back down before I turned my narrowed gaze towards Edward.

"Apologize to her, promise her you'll never pull any crap like that again, and tell her that a weekend away is fine." I tell him, in the cold voice I adopted for talking to Death Eaters. I let my aura flare out, channeling the same emotions I did when using an Unforgiveable Curse.

It could be my imagination, but I could swear I saw green flashing lights before my eyelids, and Edward's eyes widened somewhat. A flicker of fear showed in his eyes, fear he wouldn't be able to explain. I held his gaze, letting my power surge around my body, until he had to look away. "I will." He said, quietly. "I promise."

"Good," I tell him, smiling coldly. "Because I have friends that don't like vampires. Friends that won't have any problem _dealing_ with one should I give the word." The bell rings, and I rise to my feet, and I give the quiet Alice to my right a small smile. Her expression looks serious and out of place on her face. "I'll see you later, Alice." I tell her, "I'm off to find Bella." She nods, and gives me a small smile.

"See you later?" She says, except it's phrased more like a question. I almost say no, I'm so pissed off at her brother, but the look in her eyes makes me smile and nod, without me giving any permission.

"Sure. Bye Alice."

**A/N: Sorry to the people who love Edward out there, but I think he's kinda overprotective and it would be OC of him not to kick up a fuss about Bella leaving the country without his protection.**


	15. Chapter Thirteen: Hermione's POV

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN:**

**Hermione's POV:**

After the somewhat disastrous English lesson, Edward stayed away from Bella like she requested, which was made easier by the fact the next few days were sunny, causing Alice and Edward to have to stay home. I also remembered to cast a notice-me not charm on myself every morning, allowing me to slip past the students of Forks High without incident.

Thankfully for our plans, the weather became gloomy enough by Friday afternoon that Alice came to pick me up from school in her bright yellow Porsche, looking absolutely stunning, as well as excited about our shopping trip.

I couldn't help feeling shy as I slipped into place beside her, and had to remind myself several times that this wasn't a 'date', no matter how much it felt like it. "How was school?" she asked, as we pulled out of the school parking lot.

"Oh chemistry was amazing!" I gush, getting a touch lost in my love of science, realizing only after several minutes of detailed explanation of the work we covered, and my subsequent theories, that Alice looked like she was trying not to smile. My cheeks flamed red, and I smiled at her, sheepishly. "I mean… school was lousy without you, my pixie in shining armor."

"Glad you missed me." Alice teased, and I rolled my eyes, relaxing into the soft leather seat.

"I barely made it through each day, my heart ached for you so." I quipped, and she laughed, the sound as sweet as honey. We made it to Port Angeles at record time, thanks to Alice's highly illegal driving, and parked outside the rather small, but busy mall.

Alice was just about bouncing in excitement, as she babbled on about all the amazing stores, dragging me into each one. I was glad I'd had the sense to convert all the pounds into American dollars that I had, as Alice had an eye for fashion that was better then Lavender Brown's, picking out all the most gorgeous outfits for me, each one more flattering then the next, all of them suiting me perfectly.

"You should be a personal shopper." I tell her, "or a fashion designer." I turn around slowly in front of the mirror, enjoying the way the skirt flares up with my movements.

"I'd love to be," Alice says, and her face droops slightly, "unfortunately, I'm stuck looking like a kid." My face softens, and I pull the sad pixie into my arms without even thinking. Alice freezes, then melts into my embrace.

The feel of Alice in my arms… it feels _right_. I can't help breathing in her captivating scent as I hold her deliciously cool body against my own slightly flushed one. A heat pools in my lower abdomen, sending delicious tingles through my body, and I can't help the slight shuddering breath that escapes my lips.

What are you doing? My brain is screaming at me, but as Alice looks up, and her eyes, dark as night, meet mine, my heart starts pounding in my chest, and before I really register what I'm doing, I'm bending forwards slightly and pressing my lips on hers.

Alice doesn't even hesitate, her cool tongue sweeping across my lips. Her hands wrap around my body, holding me to her, against her, her fingers tangling in my hair. I moan, feeling my knees buckle under the sheer magnitude of emotion this kiss is bringing forth, and Alice's arms are suddenly supporting me, as I sag against her.

We break away after what feels like hours, and I can see in the changing room mirror how swollen my lips are, and how crazy my hair is. Alice's eyes are still pitch-black, and she's looking up at me in wonderment.

"So…" I say, when neither of us speaks for several minutes, "that just happened." Alice giggles, then looks up at me shyly.

"Will you go on a date with me?" She asks, and my lips pull into a smile.

"I'd love to." I tell her, and she looks like she's going to start running up and down the walls. "How about we go to the food court?" I suggest, "the human is hungry." Alice giggles at that, and I quickly change out of my new skirt, and pay for it at the counter, before following the pixie to the food court, my mind a whirl.

That had been… unexpected. Purely instinctual. I wasn't exactly sure what had come over me, that had caused me to act in such a bold manner. Alice was gorgeous, physically, which probably played a part, but looking into her eyes… it was like my brain turned to goo and all I could think about was how it would feel kissing Alice.

I got my answer- it felt amazing.

And Alice was more then just a pretty face. She was kind and energetic, and felt like a breath of fresh air in my life. Her enthusiasm was exhilarating, and eye-opening, reminding me of before the War, the joy I used to find in life.

I bought a bowl of hot chips, while Alice found us a table, and sat across from her, not exactly sure what to say. "So… I'm not sure exactly what happened before." I tell her. Alice looks like if she could blush, she would.

"You don't regret it, do you?" she asks, sounding anxious. I shake my head, because it's the truth. I don't regret kissing Alice, and I don't regret agreeing to go on a date with her, but…

But my life is infinitely more complicated then I can ever tell her. Even if we 'dated', there'd be so much of myself, and what makes up what I am, that I can't tell the beautiful pixie, and that pains me.

"I have secrets." I speak up, finally. "Secrets that I can't tell you, Alice." Her eyes have melted back to butterscotch, and she gives me a look I can't decipher.

"Everyone has secrets." She says, and I sigh, and look down at the chips.

"Me, more so then most." I admit, and she smiles.

"I can accept those terms," she says, softly, "I'll not badger you every time you do or say something so mysterious, that I think I'm going to explode in curiosity." She teases. I grin.

"I know the feeling. And I'm sorry Alice… but that's the way it has to be." She nods. There's silence for a few moments while I chew on my chips, and Alice is obviously thinking something over, before she starts speaking again.

"Are you visiting your friends in England, this weekend?" She asks, and I nod, but don't elaborate. "Is Bella still annoyed at Edward?" she asks next, and I roll my eyes.

"She's still fuming." I tell her, smiling slightly, "I thought steam would come out of her ears when he tried coming through her window that night, like nothing had ever happened. Needless to say, he left pretty quickly." Alice chuckles.

"He's got a bit to learn in the ways of romance." She agrees.

"And in the way of the twenty first century." I add, dryly. Alice smirks at me.

"Don't you worry, Hermione," she just about purrs, "I am _perfectly_ knowledgeable in the ways of today." I almost gulp at the look she's giving me, and the husky tone she used. My cheeks are both stained pink, much to my utter chagrin.

I change the subject pretty quickly, so her vampiric sense of smell doesn't pick up the certain scent her words conjured 'down there'. From the slight glint in her eyes, though, I'm pretty sure she smelt it very clearly.

Our arms laden with bags and our purses considerably lighter, Alice dropped me off back at Charlie's later that night, and as the car idled in the driveway, I couldn't resist leaning over and kissing her, slow and sweet. She kissed me back, her tongue dancing with mine, her teeth nibbling gently on my lower lip, careful not to draw even a drop of blood.

Eventually, the need for oxygen outweighs my need for Alice, and I pull back, and take a few deep breaths. Alice's eyes are dark again, and the smile she gives me is almost predatory.

"See you on Monday, Hermione." She says.

"Bye Alice." I say, my voice a touch on the breathless side.

Weighed down by about fifty bags (well, not quite, but it felt like it) I kicked the door in lieu of knocking, and Bella eventually opened it up. She took one look at my mouth, more specifically at my swollen lips, and her face broke into a huge smile.

"Finally!" She grinned, and I scowled at her.

"Go away brat." I grumbled, making my way over to my bedroom. Bella followed, a shit-eating grin on her face.

"So… who initiated it?" She asked, from the doorway, and my cheeks went bright red. She honest-to-god squealed. "Oh my god! You did!"

"Shut up!" I whine, in a very un-Hermione-like manner, and Bella just about starts howling with laughter. Harry joins her in the doorway and takes in my twin whose just about crying she's laughing so hard, and my flushed appearance.

"You made out with the vampire." He says, and I yank my wand out of my pocket and swish it, angrily, in their direction. The bedroom door immediately slams shut, and locks.

"Brats." I mutter, before charming my new clothes to put themselves away, and slumping down on the bed. I've got a lot to think about, and that's not even including the busy weekend I'm going to have, introducing Bella to my world.

How is she going to react? I wonder. Is she going to like it, or is it going to be too much for her? And how is everyone going to react to Bella? I know that everyone said they didn't mind me keeping her a secret, understanding the price of the knowledge, but how accepting would they be of my sister? Would they like her?

And what on earth was I going to do about the Katie situation? I'd surely be seeing her over the weekend, and there was little doubt in my mind that she was very interested in us getting together again. And… and I found myself not wanting to.

I may not be able to share everything about my life to Alice right now, but maybe one day…

But did I want a serious relationship with a vampire? There was the rather serious problem of them being immortal, and while witches and wizards lived for longer then muggles, their life span was nowhere near that of a vampire.

I groan, softly, and pull the bed covers over my head, ignoring the fact I'm still fully dressed.

Damn being a teenager, and so full of hormones, and damn high school, with it's crazy relationships! Why couldn't I have a normal year for once? Why did my cousin have to mate with a bloody vampire (no pun intended) and drag me into the ensuing mess, and why did said bloody vampire's adopted sister have to be so damn gorgeous, inside and out?!

**A/N: Yay! FInally some Alice/Hermione action! **


	16. Chapter Fourteen: Bella's POV

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN:**

**Bella's POV:**

I think it's good that the last few days have been sunny, because I'm not sure I want to talk to Edward at the moment. Hermione came and found me after the English class, and told me that she'd had 'words' with Edward. This brought a bit of a smile to my face.

I love Edward. Like, really, really love him. I know the reason he worries about me so much is because he loves me back, and is terrified that something will happen to me. It's equal parts sweet and annoying, but I understand- for someone who knows just how evil the world is, I can't fault him for being so worried. But _forbidding_ me?

I think he needs to remember that it's not the nineteen hundreds anymore. He has no 'ownership' of any kind over me.

"Are you ready to go?" Hermione asks, popping her head into my room. Hermione looks equal parts excited and apprehensive, and she's fiddling with the long, slender piece of wood in her hands. Knowing what a wand is capable of is terrifying, really. I vividly remember last night, being forced out of her room by an invisible force.

This thought makes me smile- Hermione and Alice had a very 'interesting' day yesterday, which consisted of one of them finally making a move! I'm actually kind of surprised it was Hermione who kissed Alice, not the other way round, and Hermione has refused to talk about what happened, so I can't ask her how it happened.

"Yeah." I answer her question, sliding off my bed to my feet, hoisting up small bag, peering at Hermione, wondering where her luggage is. Hermione spares the bag a quick glance and just flicks her wand at it, causing it to shrink in my hands to the size of a marble, answering my unasked question.

"Don't lose that." She advises me. I just stare at the miniature bag pinched between my fingers, and nod, dumbly, slipping it in my pocket. It's about five o'clock in the morning, and Charlie is still fast asleep. We told him we were catching a taxi to the airport, so the red Chevy still parked in the driveway wouldn't look suspicious.

Harry pokes his head around the door, a bright smile on his face. "Ready?" He asks. I nod, even as my stomach churns. I'm feeling a touch sick at the idea of magical travelling, and Hermione gives me a sympathetic look.

"This will be a bit uncomfortable." She warns me, holding out the hand not carrying her wand. I take a deep breath and grab her hand, tightly, interlacing my fingers with hers. She winces, slightly. "Ow." She grumbles, before twisting to the left.

Hermione was both right, and so, so wrong. It _was_ uncomfortable, but uncomfortable was a massive an understatement.

My room vanished from around me, and everything went black pitch black. The most horrible sensation washed over me, like I was being pressed bery hard from all directions. I couldn't breath and there were iron bands tightening around my chest. It felt like my eyeballs were being forced back into my head and my eardrums were being pushed deeper into my skull.

When the world finally righted itself, I stumbled from Hermione's grip, falling onto all fours, and vomiting profusely. It took several minutes of gagging and retching, before the dizziness and sickly, nauseas feelings faded. Through the veil of tears brought on by the vomiting, I looked up and the first thing I saw was Hermione's sympathetic expression.

Beside her, Harry looked positively cheery. "Welcome to England." He said with a grin, and I let out a piteous moan. I vaguely noticed that the sun was just starting to sink in the sky, and tried to mentally figure out the time difference as Hermione helped me to my feet, vanishing the pool of vomit on the ground, and cleaning me up with two flicks of her wand- around eight hours, I guessed. Hermione pushed a small, uncorked phial filled with a copper colored liquid into my hands.

"Drink it," she ordered, "you'll feel much better." I glared at her, but followed her instructions, downing the tasteless liquid. Instantly my mind cleared, and the last of the sickness faded.

"What was that?" I asked, and Hermione grinned.

"A handy potion for first time side-along apparaters." She said, and I shuddered.

"That was awful." I tell her, "how can you do that all the time?"

"It gets easier." She shrugs, "you've just got to remember the three D's so you don't get splinched." Seeing my confused expression she elaborated, "destination, determination and deliberation. And splinching… well, the official definition is that improper disapparation causes minor to major separation of body parts between the starting and ending site. Basically… you leave part of your body behind, like an arm or a leg, or something."

"Jesus Christ!" I spluttered, and Hermione and Harry laughed.

"It's not fun." Harry said, still grinning, "now that Bella's stomach is settled, shall we go announce our presence?" He asks, and for the first time, I take a good look around where we are.

Wherever we were, we were nestled amongst rolling hills and meadows and we were standing in a small yard filled with pecking chickens, odd knobbly kneed, brown creatures, each about a foot high, with bizarre potato-like heads, with an old looking sign over in the corner with the words _The Burrow_ scribed on it in faded paint.

In front of us was the most bizarre building I've ever seen, one that completely defied gravity. The building itself might once have been an old stone pigpen, but it now had several crooked stories attached to it. Four or five chimneys dotted the roof of the house, and the entire building had to be held up by magic.

"So this is the Burrow." I smile, remembering Hermione writing about it in her letters. "Which means… we're in Ottery St. Catchpole." I muse, unable to help shivering slightly.

I was used to the supernatural… well, as used to it as one can be, but still… it felt bizarre to know we'd literally been in America a few seconds ago, and were now in England!

"There's going to be a lot of hugging." Hermione warned me, as we traipsed towards the front door. "And everyone's probably about to have dinner. Mrs. Weasley will tell you that you're too skinny and make you eat seconds."

"Great." I groaned, and Harry chuckled.

"Consider yourself lucky- I'm relieved if I manage to get away without basically being force-fed a fourth or fifth helping!" We reached the door, and Harry hammered on it.

A stunning young woman with bright brown eyes and a long mane of vivid, flaming red hair opened the door and just about launched herself into Harry's arms. "HARRY!" she laughed, and suddenly their lips were locked together in a passionate embrace.

Behind her, a short, plump and kind-faced woman with the same flaming red hair as her daughter, wearing long robes and a flowered apron with a wand sticking out of the pocket, appeared, a bright beaming smile on her face. I had no doubts this was Molly Weasley, a woman Hermione referred to as a kind of second mother. But past Molly's smile, one could see lines of stress and grief lining her face, and the slight graying of her hair, speaking of the stress she'd been under, and the emotional pain she was suffering from the loss of her son.

"Hermione, Harry!" She beamed, bustling past her daughter and soon to be son-in-law, to sweep Hermione up into her arms. "And you must be Bella!" she said, when she finally released a gasping Hermione. "I'm Molly." She introduced herself before she pulled me into a bone-crushing, smothering hug. As I struggled for breath, I noted that she smelt like cinnamon and flour- a very _motherly_ smell, if that was possible.

When she released me, I joined Hermione in gasping for breath, as she turned to break apart Harry and Ginny. "I wasn't quite prepared for that." I whispered to Hermione, who smiled at me.

"She's very affectionate." She said, leading the way inside the house.

"Will Ron be here?" I asked, curiously, wanting to meet Hermione's other BFF. Hermione's jaw clenched slightly, and she sighed.

"I have no idea." She murmured, and I nodded, understanding her emotions. Ron not being able to accept Hermione's sexual orientation, and ostracizing her because of it, must be hurting the girl who'd suffered from the discrimination from being a Muggleborn for so long.

The inside of the house was crowded, but cozy, and I found myself staring around, wide-eyed. Over in the kitchen, I could see dishes washing themselves, as plates laden with food floated over to the kitchen table, which was currently seating several people who were looking at me, curiously. I couldn't help my blush, and Hermione gently squeezed my hand as she led me over.

A carelessly handsome Weasley (I was guessing from the red hair and freckles) was the first to greet me, standing up and shooting me a smile. "You must be Bella," he said, holding out his hand, "I'm Charlie."

"Hi." I said, shyly, reaching out and shaking his calloused hand. Charlie worked with dragons, I remembered, in Romania, which explained his stocky, muscular build, and the long burn stretching down one of his arms.

Fleur greeted me from where she was seated. "Bonjour again, Bella." She smiled.

"Hi Fleur." I replied, pleased to see the stunning Veela again. Sitting next to Fleur was (yet another) Weasley, this one the opposite of Charlie, tall and slim, dressed like he was going to a rock concert, with a row of very distinguishable scars running down his face. The scars reminded me of Emily Young's scars, and I couldn't help the pang of pity I felt.

"I'm Bill." He introduced himself as, not getting up from where he was seated beside Fleur. This didn't bother me, and I smiled back at him.

"Hi Bill." I greeted him. The final person sitting at the table was a thin man who was going bald, but the little hair on his head was as red as any of his children's. He was wearing long navy blue robes, which were dusty and travel-worn. He looked extremely eager to see me, and I was reminded of Hermione writing about Arthur Weasley's love of anything muggle.

"I'm Arthur," he introduced himself, perking up as he looked over me, "I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions about this rather peculiar muggle invention I came across the other day-" he went on, before I could even greet him back, and Molly interrupted him, whacking him lightly on the side of the head.

"Where are your manners Arthur!" she scolded her husband. Once everyone had greeted Hermione and Harry, and Molly instantly conjured some chairs out of mid-air for us to sit on. I tried not to gape… or faint. Really, this was just… _amazing_!

"It's breakfast time in America," Hermione explained, when Molly started serving us all a generous helping of what seemed like some kind of delicious smelling stew, with thick pieces of buttered bread soaking in it, "so we don't need much."

Molly nodded, and started heaping food onto my plate, and I thanked her, even as I wondered how in god's name I was going to be able to eat this.

Turns out the stew was so delicious, I managed to finish it all, before Hermione, Ginny, Harry and I retreated to Ginny's bedroom. Ginny and Harry lounged on her bed, while Hermione conjured bean bags for us on the floor. From Ginny's window I could see the sun sinking below the horizon, and wondered what Hermione planned for us to do while it was nighttime over here.

"So 'Mi," Ginny started, her voice teasing, "meet any cute America girls?" I grinned, relaxing into the bean-bag, waiting for her answer.

"Maybe." Hermione said, two small dots of pink appearing on her cheeks.

"Spill!" Demanded Ginny, and Hermione laughed and shook her head.

"Nu-uh, not a chance!" Ginny's gaze flicked over to me, a wicked smirk on her face.

"Don't you dare tell her anything!" Hermione warned me, before the redhead could say anything, and I couldn't help my giggle.

"So you don't want me to say anything about the cute little pixie who's caught your eye?" I tease her. Hermione's cheeks go from pink to bright red, and she glares at me.

"Nice sibling loyalty." She muttered, even as Ginny let out a triumphant sound.

"Well the pixie's got competition," Harry says, "I may be a man, which pretty much spells out my cluelessness in the ways of romance, but I'm pretty sure Katie's looking to get back together with our 'Mi."

"What?" Ginny screeched, and I almost shivered as Ginny's body seemed to crackle with anger.

"She just came and visited! It's no big deal!" Hermione tried to assure the fuming redhead, while shooting Harry a dirty look. I was definitely on Ginny's side with this, but I managed to refrain from saying so out loud, merely thinking it.

"You can't get back together with that slut!" Ginny snapped, and Hermione groaned, burying her head in her hands. Okay, my curiosity has officially been piqued.

"Someone mind telling me what's going on?" I ask, and Ginny turns her eyes to me. I almost shiver at the anger I see in them.

"Katie's a little, conniving, gold digger!" She rages, "the little cow was always badgering Hermione about going public, when it was for her own safety, and she glared at me whenever I got close, telling me to back off! She was just trying to worm her way into the spotlight!"

"Ginny!" Hermione snapped, sitting up straighter, narrowing her eyes at the younger girl. "Katie was not like that!" Ginny snorts.

"Not to your face!" She retorted, and Hermione sighed and ran a hand through her frizzy hair.

"Why don't we change the subject," she suggested, "have you two settled on a date for the big day?" Ginny immediately brightened up, while Harry's face seemed to get a bit pale. Seeing my questioning glance, he gestured towards Ginny and mouthed something that looked suspiciously like 'bridezilla'. I bit back a laugh, remembering Renee's wedding to Phil, and how bridezilla-ish she was, especially in the final few days.

"We're going to do it after graduation, so it's going to be a summer wedding," Ginny said, enthusiastically, "I'm thinking something Quidditch themed, seeing how much we both love it, so maybe the actual wedding can be on a pitch somewhere, then the reception can be here, at the Burrow."

Hermione seemed to get right into the discussion, and I can't deny feeling a bit awkward, so I was glad when it was time to set up the mattresses and sleeping bags for Hermione and I on the floor. "Um, are we supposed to sleep? Because I'm wide awake." I mumbled to Hermione, who grinned at me and produced another phial, this one filled with a blue liquid.

"You'll sleep like a baby, and wake up feeling refreshed." She said, and I hesitantly drank the liquid, then shivered slightly as a feeling of icy cold washed over me. Instantly, I yawned, and my eyes felt scratchy. Hermione drank the same potion, and sleepily pulled her marble-sized bag out of her pocket and returned it to its normal size, pulling out a set of pajamas.

I grabbed my marble sized bag, and Hermione flicked her wand at it, restoring it just like hers, then she stripped down to her bra and panties and changed into her flannelettes. I was kind of surprised at the casual way she, Ginny and Harry just changed in front of each other, but I guess living in a tent with someone (Harry) for so long makes you comfortable enough around the other, and Hermione was confident enough in her sexuality that it didn't bother her stripping in front of a boy.

Hermione did, however, erect a screen for me to get changed behind, much to my relief, and I snuggled under the blankets, excited about what the morning was going to bring, in this crazy, Alice-down-the-rabbit-hole-esque adventure.


	17. Chapter Fifteen: Hermione's POV

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN:**

**Hermione's POV:**

I didn't sleep well. Maybe it was being back here, reminded of everything I'd fled from so recently, maybe it was because asking for a few good sleeps is apparently too much.

Whatever the cause, I woke suddenly at three in the morning, my heart racing with fear, the screams from my past echoing in my head; my body trembling with remembered pain. I pulled my knees up to my chest and buried my face in them, as I sucked in some much needed oxygen. The air caught on the way in.

When my heart rate was back to normal, and my breathing had slowed to an acceptable level, I slipped off the mattress, and crept out of the bedroom. I paused on the stairwell, reflexively looking up- up to Ron's room.

Was he in there? I wondered. Was he in there, and just avoiding me? Hiding from me? Still angry with me?

Well, seeing as he hadn't answered a single one of my letters, I could assume the latter was true. I can't help the long-suffering sigh that escapes my lips, as I think of my red-haired (ex?) best friend. During the Final Battle, he kissed me. Seeing as we might not live through the next few hours, I let him. But afterwards, when he tried to get me to enter a relationship with him?

I. Was. Gay. I'd told him that, over and over, but he just couldn't accept it. I refused to go on a date with him, refused to kiss him, and in his words- refused to give him a chance. A chance? A chance? A small smile tugs on my lips as I remember my heated response.

_"What if Harry wanted to go on a date with you, Ron, huh? Would you 'give him a chance?'" I screamed in his face. We were standing inside his room, face to face, arguing, and had been for the last hour or so. I was sick of this!_

_Ron screwed his face up in disgust at the thought of him and Harry getting romantic. "But that's different!" He'd tried arguing, and I resisted the urge to strangle him, although my hands twitched at my sides. If I started, I wasn't sure I'd be able to stop… or want to…_

_"How Ron? How?" I demanded him, exasperated beyond words, throwing my hands up in the air. He looked back at me, brown eyes wide, expression incredulous, as if he couldn't understand how I didn't get where he was coming from._

_"It just is!" he said, after several long moments, "geez, 'Mione! You're supposed to be the smartest witch of this generation!" For a few long seconds, I debated how to dispose of a body, and who I could enlist to give me an alibi, as well as thinking up a long list of painful curses I could send his way._

_In the end, though, I just sighed and ran my hands through my hair, something I tend to do whenever I'm stressed, exasperated, annoyed, angry or upset… Harry says that's why it's probably so bushy._

_"I can't take this anymore, Ron," I tell him. "I'm leaving England. That's what I came here to tell you in the first place. Right now I can't even bear to look at you, so get Harry to fill you in on the details."_

_His face turned an amusing shade of puce as I turned on my foot and stormed out of his room, ignoring his shouts for me to come back._

_I was done with his shit._

I brought myself back to the present as I made my way down the stairs, through the kitchen, and then out the back door. The Weasleys have a large, overgrown back garden, and a pond full of frogs. It's the sort of backyard that everyone living in a city wishes for, despite it's somewhat wild state. Over in the corner is the broomshed where the Weasley kids used to keep their broomsticks- I'm pretty sure it used to be a stone outhouse.

For a few long moments I just stare out across the garden, mind occupied by vague thoughts, when a movement on the roof grabs to my attention. A sickening mixture of horror, grief and expectancy filled me- standing on the edge, near one of the many chimneys, stood George Weasley.

He was staring up at the sky, arms limp by his sides. His feet were bare, and his toes, tinged blue from cold, were curling over the edge of the tiles. His pajamas hung loosely from his thin, rake-like form, and his once vibrant red-hair seemed limp, dull. Dead- like George was inside. Like he had been since Fred was killed.

I apparate up onto the roof beside George and stand next to him, threading my fingers through his. He doesn't even turn to look at me, doesn't move his gaze from the bright stars shining above us, like diamonds. A half moon hangs high in the sky. No werewolves will be roaming tonight, some part of me notes.

"Let's go back inside." I say, making my voice soft. George doesn't respond, of course- he hasn't said a word since he buried Fred. But he follows me, as I tug on his hand, trailing after me, obediently, while staring ahead vacantly. His once bright eyes were now unfocused, unseeing- dull. It was heartbreaking.

I took him back to his room, and laid him back down in bed. It used to be Bill's room, I'm told- George didn't want to go back to the room he and Fred shared. I murmur soft things to the almost catatonic boy, gently pulling the duvet up over his thin, shivering body.

This wasn't the first time I've found him on the roof. And it probably won't be the last time.

The first time I saw him up there, a few weeks after the Battle of Hogwarts, I was terrified he was planning on jumping, on killing himself. Indeed, I think that had been his plan, the first time. I remember vividly catching sight of him, as I circled the night sky in eagle form. I panicked, going straight to him, getting him back inside. But when he continued appearing, night after night, I realized that all he did was stand there, staring up at the stars. He never tried to jump.

I stay by George's side until morning, slumped against his bed, my fingers threaded in his. Misery washed through me, wave after wave, and tears flowed down my cheeks.

When one of the roosters started crowing, I wiped my eyes dry, scourgified my face, and even cast a quick neatening charm on my hair. I deemed my pajamas- simple button-down flannelettes, appropriate for public wear, and leave Georges room, walking downstairs to the kitchen.

Mrs. Weasley is already in the kitchen, and her eyes are red and puffy. I don't comment, and if she sees any signs of my mostly sleepless night, she doesn't comment either. That's the way it's worked. It almost feels like I never left here. All the progress I've made over the week seems to be unraveling, reverting me back to my previous chaotic, emotional, wrecked self.

Bella emerges down for breakfast at around eight, along with Ginny and Harry. Ginny is still going to Hogwarts this year, but its been arranged for her to return home over the weekends. Ginny and Harry say their good mornings to me, and Bella hurries over to my side. She's holding up quite well in this new, amazingly bizarre place- I fully remember the first time I came here- but I can see how her eyes keep locking onto the knitting needles hovering in mid-air in the corner, knitting a bright blue scarf. She also seems entranced by the gnomes scurrying around the backyard, visible from the kitchen window, and even Mrs. Weasley's long robes- slightly on the shabby side, but a nice shade of green.

"You're doing well." I tell her, as she slides into place beside me. Her eyes widen, comically so, as she catches sight of the paper, with its moving pictures.

"Oh god. Oh god. Oh god." She mumbles, and I reach over and squeeze her hand. She gives me a slightly helpless expression. "This is… unreal!" She whispers, and I nod, my lips twitching.

"I know." I tell her. Mrs. Weasley chooses now to speak up.

"Honestly, it's quite remarkable how alike your appearances are!" she marvels, "your faces have such a similar structure, your eyes are the exact some shade, your skin is identical! The only real difference is Bella's hair seems so groomed and controlled, while Hermione's is… well, wild and untamable." Bella looks at me, obviously wondering if I'll take offense to Mrs. Weasley's comment, but I just laugh.

"My hair takes after our bio-dad." I tell her.

"Do you have a picture?" She speaks up, eagerly.

"I'll bring one next time." I promise.

"So what's the agenda today?" She asks, only slightly disappointed, bustling over and serving Bella up a large helping of scrambled eggs on buttered toast.

"Showing Bella Quidditch!" Harry and Ginny say at the same time. I roll my eyes at them.

"I was thinking more along the lines of Diagon Alley." I scowl, playfully.

"Let me guess- Flourish and Blotts?" Harry teases. Ginny, seeing Bella's confused look, explains to her that it's a bookshop.

"How about you do both," Mrs. Weasley says, looking amused, "Harry and Ginny can take Bella flying, and after lunch we can all pop around to Diagon Alley. I know Percy and Audrey are coming over for lunch- they're quite eager to meet Bella." She adds.

"Fine!" I sigh, throwing my hands in the air, in an overly theatrical manner that makes Harry and Ginny smirk. Bella, on the other hand, is looking a touch apprehensive- knowing how clumsy she is on the ground, I can only hope she's better in the air.

"Okay," Ginny says to Bella, who's gnawing on the bottom of her lip hard enough that blood is starting to bead along it.

Bella is currently standing with a broom between her legs, her arms wrapped around Ginny's waist. Ginny is also standing over the broom, but she's also grasping onto the handle. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be," Bella says, her face a touch on the pale side. I don't think Harry's loop-the-loops have been inspiring much confidence in her.

"Let's go!" Ginny whoops, and suddenly the broom is soaring off the ground. Bella lets out a bloodcurdling scream, and I shift into my Animagus form so I can fly up next to her, having no interest in getting on a broom myself.

"HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!" Bella is screaming- I'm not sure if it's because she's flying on the back of a broomstick, or because of the fact she just saw her sister turn into a large bird. I've told her about me being an Animagus, what an Animagus is, and what form I take, but seeing someone turn into an animal is... well, bizarre. Even for the girl who's best friend frequently turns into a giant wolf.

I fly up next to them, enjoying the English countryside below us, and Bella looks woozy. I let out a loud cry that's eagle speak for 'I think my sister might be about to faint!', but unfortunately neither Harry or Ginny speak eagle. And seconds later, Bella's eyes roll up into her head and she plummets off the back of the broom.

"BELLA!" screams Ginny, diving after my unconscious twin. Harry's faster, managing to reach out and snag one of Bella's arms. The shift in weight causes him to almost turn upside down on the broom, but he manages to hold on and pull up, simultaneously showing off his skills as youngest Seeker of the century, possibly saving my sister's life, and definitely saving her from broken bones, and giving me time to get to the ground, change back and cast a levitation charm.

I lower Bella down onto the ground, kneel beside her, and murmur, "_Enervate_!" Her eyes flutter open, and seeing my stern look she gives me a weak smile.

"I think I'll keep my feet on the ground," she says, in a voice that's slightly hoarse from her previous screaming.

"I think that's a good idea," I agree with her, "the Swans weren't made for flying. On brooms, anyway."

Percy and his fiancé Audrey arrive a little after twelve. Percy looks his usual self post-war- no longer so pompous, his expression, the way he holds himself, is filled with a quiet confidence, along with a battle-weariness. The crows feet around his eyes are from frowning, not smiling. Percy was with Fred when he was killed- he was the last one to ever speak to him. And now he suffers from intense survivor's guilt.

Audrey is beautiful, in a simple way. Her hair is a light blond-brown, and consists mostly of messy curls, not dissimilar to my own. Her eyes are pale blue, her lips soft pink, and her skin a light cream, with the odd freckle. She's wearing a simple white button-up dress, that seems very reminiscent of the 1900's. She suits Percy- she's old fashioned, like him, both in her dress sense, and her manner. She's quiet, happy to let him talk, yet with every word she says, every look she shares with him, every touch, it shows that she loves him with all her heart.

"Hello Hermione." She greets me, softly, as Percy disappears up the stairs- off to get George. Percy has made himself responsible for George, in a way. He visits every day and just sits and talks with the catatonic red head for hours, even though George never answers. It's Percy who argues with Mrs. Weasley that George needs to go into St. Mungos for a little while- Mrs. Weasley refuses to let him, and Percy is starting to talk about getting a court order.

Percy leads George down to the kitchen table- Mrs. Weasley has dressed George in a simple pair of grey robes, and he sits him down. George's eyes focus, slightly, on Bella, and for a second, a flicker of curiosity shows in those once laughing eyes, but then they just fade back to vacant. Empty.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Bella." Audrey tells my sister, giving her a friendly smile.

"Um, it's nice to meet you too." Bella offers, her cheeks a brilliant shade of red, even as her gaze drifts over to George. It's the first time she's seen him in person, I realize, and I reach out and grab her hand, wanting to offer her support.

"So, what made you two decide to pop over for lunch?" Mrs. Weasley asks them, a bright smile on her face, that's only slightly fake. Molly adores Percy and Audrey, of course, and she's glad about how much Percy tries to support George, taking care of the Weasley Wizarding Wheezes store, for one, but it's painful for her, seeing that no matter how hard Percy tries, George stays the same.

"Well, as you know our wedding's coming up," Percy says, and a shy smile crosses Audrey's face. Mrs. Weasley noticeably brightens at this- she's very excited about the wedding. "I wanted to come and ask George to be my best man." Percy says, and the table falls silent, as all eyes turn to George. George's eyes flicker, slightly, and his head turns towards Percy. I think everyone has their fingers crossed that he'll say something, _anything_, but all he does is tilt his head slightly, in lieu of nodding.

Percy appears relieved, and gently clasps George's forearm. "Thank you, mate." He says, his voice soft. George doesn't answer, his gaze just drifting back to his plate.

"And I wanted to know if Ginny would be my maid of honor." Audrey speaks up, in her soft, shy voice. Ginny looks surprised.

"Are you sure?" She asks Audrey, who blushes and nods. Audrey lost her family to Death Eaters, and as far as I know, she never had many close friends. Her whole life is her job as clerk in the Wizengamot, a silent presence who writes the minutes for the hearings, court sessions, etc. "Thanks." Ginny says, giving Audrey a smile.

"And you're invited too, Bella." Percy speaks up, as he tucks into his meatloaf. Bella gets a deer in headlight's expression on her face.

"What? Me?" She asks, surprised, before blushing a brilliant red.

"'Course, you're family." Percy says, with a smile.

"You are." Mrs. Weasley nods, giving Bella a warm look. "After all, you're Hermione's sister, and Hermione is like my own daughter!" This time it's me who has to fight off my blush.

After lunch, I lead Bella over to the Floo. She eyes the green flames in distrust, hesitancy clear on her expression. "The flames aren't hot, they won't burn your clothes," I promise her, "all you have to do is clearly state Diagon Alley, step into the flames, and keep your elbows tucked in close to your body. You'll see lots of fireplaces and hearths as you're going past, but just stay put until the Floo sends you out at the right stop, okay?"

"Okay." Bella says, still looking pale.

"I'll go and meet you at the other side, 'kay?" I tell her, and she nods, still looking nervous. I sprinkle a handful of the glittery silver Floo powder into the emerald flames and step in, clearly stating, "_Diagon Alley_!"

The trip is as nauseating as most means of magical travel, and as I'm spat out into one of the fireplaces in the Leakey Cauldron. Thanks to years of practice, I manage to land on my feet. Bella, on the other hand, stumbles out of the fireplace and falls onto the ground, seconds after I scourgify my jeans and sweater.

I roll my eyes and smirk at her, even as she glares at me. "That. Was. Evil!" She grumbles, and I flick my wand at her, vanishing the soot that's covering her from head to toe.

Harry and Ginny emerge next, one after the other, each one managing to gracefully exit the fireplace, without falling onto their hands and knees. "Shall we get going?" Harry grins.

Bella perks up, looking excited. "Let's go!" She grins.


	18. Chapter Sixteen: Bella's POV

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN:**

**Bella's POV:**

I followed Hermione through the small, dusty pub, filled only with a trickle of witches and wizards. The old, wizened looking barkeep shot Harry and Hermione a toothless smile, and a quick wave, which they both returned.

Hermione seemed so much at ease here, and I was reminded, again, that this was her world, her real world. To me, it felt like some kind of dream. Hermione walked out the back of the pub, to a small, walled courtyard, with a dustbin. She approached the dustbin and tapped on the brick three up and two across from it. Before my amazed eyes, the bricks started sliding across, first creating a small hole that I wondered if we were going to have to crawl through, then growing until a large archway was formed.

"Oh my god." I murmured, for what felt like the billionth time since Hermione had taken me via Side-Along Apparation to The Burrow. Hermione turned back and smiled at me.

"I know, right?" She said, her voice soft, the amazement still evident in her tone. "I'll always love this. The magic hidden, right before us." I nod, and follow her through the archway, and into Diagon Alley.

It's everything I expected, and nothing I could have ever dreamed of at the same time. The first building I saw was an imposing snow-white, multistoried marble building, which Hermione pointed out as Gringotts. In front of the Wizarding Bank, several short, fair-skinned creatures, each about a maximum of 48 inches high, that I assumed were goblins.

Despite everything I'd seen, they still seemed extraordinarily strange, with their dome shaped heads, pointed noses and ears, and extremely long fingers and feet. Perhaps sensing my stare, one of the goblin's head turned towards me, and I met it's (his?) dark, slanted eyes. I resisted the urge to shudder, and tried to smile at it. It didn't smile back.

The words from one of the letters Hermione had sent me after her first visit to Diagon Alley, swam to the front of my mind. She'd labelled it as something carved into marble inside the strange Wizarding bank, and this time I did shudder.

_Enter, stranger, but take heed_

_Of what awaits the sin of greed_

_For those who take, but do not earn,_

_Must pay most dearly in their turn._

_So if you seek beneath our floors_

_A treasure that was never yours,_

_Thief, you have been warned, beware_

_Of finding more than treasure there._

Anyone who tries to rob Gringotts has to be absolutely insane.

Almost as if she was reading my thoughts, Hermione shuddered. "I never want to set foot in that place again," she muttered to me, "I'm pretty sure they still haven't forgiven us for breaking in." I literally choked on my own spit, and turned my wide-eyes to my sister.

"You broke into there?" I say, my voice somewhat hysterical.

"And rode a dragon out." Harry answered for her, and Hermione gave me a weak smile.

"Story for another time." She said.

"Jesus." I mutter, shaking my head, before following Hermione around the curve of the cobble-stoned street.

My jaw popped open, and I was unable to close my mouth as my eyes drank in my surroundings. It was amazing- there was no other word for it. There were shops selling robes, shops selling telescopes and strange silver instruments I had never seen before, windows stacked with barrels of bat spleens and eels' eyes, tottering piles of spell books, quills, and rolls of parchment, potion bottles and even cages filled with owls of all different sizes and colors.

"This is unbelievable!" I whisper. Harry and Hermione's eyes are shining in a similar way to mine, as they take in the street.

"I know," Hermione said, quietly. "It never gets old." Before we went any further, Hermione turned to face me, holding her wand out in front of her. She muttered a few things I didn't hear, and before my eyes my hair turned an alarming shade of blonde that reminded me of Lauren's bleached tresses, and my skin darkened to a golden tan. "Disguises so we don't get accosted in the streets by our adoring fans." She explained, in a slightly sarcastic voice, before turning her wand back on herself and applying the same changes. As her eyes turned from brown to blue, I wondered if mine had too- I certainly couldn't feel the difference.

Harry's hair is now long and brown, covering his scar, and his eyes are brown, while Ginny has gone for the blond look, like me and 'Mi.

"Where to first?" Harry asks.

"Madam Malkins," Ginny said, instantly, throwing me a grin. "We need to get dress robes for Bella for Percy and Audrey's wedding."

"Dress robes?" I asked, puzzled.

"Fancy robes for fancy occasions," Harry elaborated. Hermione rolls her eyes at him before turning to me.

"It is tradition to wear dress robes to a wedding," she says, apologetically, "but after that we can go to Flourish and Blotts and Scribbulus Writing Instruments!" she says, sounding eager. I roll my eyes at her, and follow them to a neat little shop labeled Madam Malkins Robes For All Occasions. It's a neat little shop with a bell that rings as we step inside, with mannequins lined up against the walls dressed in the bizarre clothing that the Wizarding World calls 'robes'.

A short, squat woman dressed all in mauve hurries over, a large smile on her face. "Can I help you?" she asks.

"We need a pair of dress robes for my sister for a wedding." Hermione explains, gesturing to me.

Before I really know what's happening, I'm standing on a stool, in front of a large mirror, while the woman adjusts the length of the bizarre 'robes' I'm dressed in. They're long and formfitting, soft blue in color and comes with a sheer shawl. After around fifteen uncomfortable minutes, a few swishes of a wand, and we're emerging from the shop, with me holding a large shopping bag with my new dress robes.

The afternoon seems to pass in a haze. It feels like I've stepped into a fairy tale- I mean, there's a shop that sells owls, one that sells broomsticks, quills, even magical fireworks!

Arms loaded with a variety of supplies, including the weirdest sweets I've ever seen, a jar pull of some kind of grey powder that Hermione brought, a pouch of red gemstones (again, bought by 'Mi- I didn't ask), my new dress robes, and a large quill of some sort, we enter Flourish and Blotts- the bookshop Hermione's been eyeing off, ever since we turned the corner.

When we stepped inside, I suddenly understood Hermione's enthusiasm. I wasn't quite as big a book worm as she was, but it was easily the most wonderful bookshop I'd ever seen. The shelves were stacked to the ceiling with books as large as paving stones bound in leather; books the size of postage stamps in covers of silk; books full of peculiar symbols and a few books with nothing in them at all.

Hermione makes a beeline for a shelf near the back, and I follow her- Harry and Ginny are waiting outside, most likely making out. Hermione crouches beside the shelf, and my gaze flickers over to the titles. My eyes instantly widen in understanding _Vampyre Lore, Living with Vampires, Warding off Vampires, A History of Vampies, The Vampire South Wars, Spells For Killing Vampires, Advanced Wards- Vampyre Special Edition._ They were just some of the hundreds of books that were vampire related.

I kind of stared wide-eyed, while Hermione picked out around eight of them. "Don't worry," she assured me, seeing my wide-eyed expression, "most of these are just for my curiosity." As we approached the counter, the bell on the shop door made a tinkling sound, and a slender young man with sleek white-blond hair, cold grey eyes, a pale complexion and rather sharp, pointed features walked in.

Beside me, Hermione froze, her face a blank mask, hiding her emotions. The young man turned to face Hermione, and his eyes widened slightly. "G-Granger?" He asked, hesitantly, and I wondered how he'd managed to recognize Hermione with her different skin, hair and eye-color. His eyes briefly flickered over to me, curiosity evident for a few seconds, before his gaze moved back to my sister.

Hermione threw off her shock and straightened her posture, holding her chin up high. "Malfoy." She said, coolly, and the man I now realized was Draco Malfoy, Hermione's high school bully, flinched slightly at the icy tone.

"I… can we please talk?" He asked, in a voice that sounded defeated, almost.

"No." Hermione said, her voice hard and short, before marching over to the counter and placing the large stack of books down. The shop attendant was gaping at Hermione, having heard Draco's exclamation of her true name, and hastily rung up the books. Hermione tipped a pile of the odd shaped golden coins she called galleons on the bench, before shrinking the books and stashing them in her pocket.

"Let's go." She said to me, her voice stiff, before striding over to the door, her eyes never moving back to the dejected looking blonde. A part of me felt for the dejected looking guy, but I didn't say anything and tried not to stare at him. A task made slightly harder when he stepped in front of our path, and looked at Hermoine beseechingly.

"Granger… Hermione… I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He said to her, his voice pitched low so the shop attendant couldn't hear, his tone perfectly miserable. Hermione's gaze didn't soften the slightest, remaining harsh and icy.

"I'm not." Was all she said, before pushing past him and exiting the shop. Draco didn't try to follow, and Hermione murmured to me, "don't tell Harry, 'kay?" I nodded, deciding to demand an explanation when her face wasn't looking quite so pale, and her eyes weren't looking quite so hard.

Harry and Ginny emerged from the alleyway beside the bookshop, their clothes and hair ruffled, their lips a touch on the swollen side. "Finished?" Harry grinned. Hermione's expression relaxed as she shot him a teasing smirk.

"Nice lipstick, Harry. That shade suits you." She teases him. Harry doesn't even blush, just laughs and wipes the red lipstick off his mouth with the back of his sleeve. Ginny and Hermione make identical looks of disgust at him.

"Any last places you want to visit?" Harry asked, checking his watch. Like most things in the Wizarding world, it was very odd. It was slightly dented, and had twelve hands but no numbers; instead, little planets were moving around the edge. Yet somehow, despite it making no sense, whatsoever, Harry seemed to be able to figure out the time. "It's nearly six." He said. Surprised, I checked my own watch. I hadn't realized it was that late.

"Let's go to the Magical Menagerie." Ginny suggested, "I need something to keep me company at school, besides that evil owl of yours Hermione."

"Hey!" Hermione frowns, "Enoch's not evil! Just… particular." Ginny snorts and rolls up her sleeve, revealing several livid looking red scratches. Hermione winces. "Like I said… particular." She says, in an entirely unconvincing voice.

The Magical Menagerie has to be the strangest place we've visited yet, but definitely my favorite. It's a very cramped and noisy shop, with every inch of wall covered by cages. The cages contained all different kinds of animals - poisonous orange snails, a giant jewel-encrusted tortoise, sleek black rats, owls, ravens, cats of every color, weird things that were labeled Puffskeins and resembled funny multi-colored furballs that appeared to be loudly humming, a fat white rabbit that kept turning into a silken top hat, and so much more.

While Ginny wandered over to look at the cage labeled Nifflers, that appeared to be full of small furry creatures with long, narrow snouts, Hermione's wistful gaze was drawn over to the cage of cats. Hermione loved that cat, and loved telling the tale of how she came across him.

The tall, some-what scrawny wizard running the shop, walked over to Ginny. "Hello ma'am," he grinned widely, "are you interested in purchasing a Niffler?" he continued, "They're such gentle, precious creatures, and tend to be very affectionate towards their owners," he told her, "but you need to be careful, because when they're bored or lose, they have a tendency to destroy belongings and property looking for things that sparkle."

Ginny's smile became mischievous. "Now I'm definitely getting one." She grinned, "and letting it loose in my dorm." I rolled my eyes, amused by the redhead, and walked over to Hermione. She was staring at a cage filled with small kitten-like creatures, with the label Purebred Kneazle Kits. They all were all orange in color, with large ears and a lightly plumed tail, like a lion, but some had spotted fur, while others had speckled or flecked fur.

"You should get one." I tell her, seeing the longing in her eyes.

"I don't know," Hermione sighed, trailing her fingers along the metal bars, "I mean, I miss Crooks, but I have Enoch."

"'Mi, with all due respect, Ginny's right," I tell her, "that owl is evil." Hermione smiles, slightly.

"Okay," she says, eyes drifting to the kneazle with paws that look two sizes too big for its body- a warning that it's not going to grow up to be small. "Maybe I should get another cat…"

We leave the Magical Menagerie with two whicker baskets, one held by Hermione, one by Harry- Ginny made him carry it, he's completely whipped. The Niffler is poking its long snout out of the basket, looking excited, while Hermione's kneazle kitten appears to be sulking (or sleeping- it's hard to tell with cats).

Floo-ing back with all our purchases is, well, tricky to say the least. I have no idea how the others managed it, as all I had to carry back were my new dress robes. Mrs. Weasley greeted us all with a smile and a large, feathery brush she used to dust away all the soot.

After we put away our purchases (Hermione keeping her kneazle kitten in the whicker basket), we go downstairs for dinner. Ginny brought down her Niffler for everyone to coo over.

Later that night, when Hermione and I are on the mattress, and Ginny and Harry have snuck out, I ask her the question that's been on my mind since the 'interesting' encounter in the bookshop.

"What was all that with Draco Malfoy?" I ask her, and she stiffens for a few moments, then sighs, and relaxes her body.

"When Bellatrix was… 'questioning' me, Draco was present." She says, quietly. I feel tears sting at my eyes.

"I'm sorry, 'Mione." I tell her, and she gives me a wobbly smile, that doesn't contain even the slightest bit of humor.

"I begged him to kill me. He wouldn't do it." She said, her voice so quiet I barely heard it. I reach out and wrap my arms around my sister, hugging her tight.

"I'm glad he didn't kill you 'Mione," I tell her, my voice choked up. Hermione is silent for a few seconds, before she replies, in a softest of whispers.

"I'm glad too."

Sunday passes in a joyful haze. Fleur and Bill pop over a few times, and Harry and Ginny try to get me to try flying again- I refuse. Hermione spends half the day with her new kitten- who she's named Widdershins, and seems just as grumpy as Crookshanks was- and the other half alternating between reading and watching Harry and Ginny teach me how to degnome a garden and listen to them tell me funny stories about Hogwarts.

I'm sad when it's time to leave, just after dinner, and Hermione explains that we'll be taking a Portkey to Port Whiskey, a small Wizarding community in Seattle, not unlike Diagon Alley. From there, we can catch a cab to the airport, and wait for Edward to pick us up.

I'm excited about seeing Edward again- I've forgiven him for his 'forbid' comment, and now all I want to do is hold him in my arms and tell him I love him. I'm apprehensive about trying out a Portkey, the only method of magical travel I have yet to try.

With all our bags packed and shrunk, and Widdershins safely in his basket, hooked over Hermione's shoulder, we say our farewells before approaching the old cooking pot on the kitchen table that's glowing a bright blue. "It's been awesome meeting you, Bella." Ginny says, giving me a big hug.

"It's been amazing meeting all of you, too." I reply. Harry isn't coming back with us just yet, saying that he'll apparate back to Forks on Monday (in American time), as he wants to spend as much time with Ginny as he can, before she has to go back to school.

As I cautiously eye the Portkey-turned-pot, Hermione decides to give me a quick warning that I wish she'd kept to herself. "There's a small chance that after we arrive, you're going to experience Portkey-sickness," she says, in an apologetic tone. My heart instantly begins to race.

"What the hell is that?" I ask, in a voice that's only an octave or two off a whimper. Hermione instantly goes into lecture mode.

"There's no official term for it, but Portkey-sickness is a condition in which travelling by Portkey causes a disagreement between visually perceived movement and the vestibular system's sense of movement. Hysterics and nausea are the common symptoms."

Harry laughs at my expression, and gives me a gentle shove. "You'll be fine, now go!" he says. Taking a deep, deep breath, I touch the Portkey-turned-pot with my pointer finger- and instantly decide that the magical world has the most screwed up ways to travel ever.

Travelling by Portkey feels like there's a hook somewhere behind my navel pulling me to what I'm assuming is my destination. When we arrive at what seems like mid-morning in some kind of street not dissimilar to Diagon Alley, I end up slumped on the ground, my head spinning too much for me to stand.

"You okay?" Hermione asks, looking down at me with concern, from where she is casually standing comfortably, arm wrapped around Widder's basket.

"Screw you." I mutter, stumbling to my feet. A wave of nausea leads to me emptying my stomach on the ground before me, attracting several glares from the robed, cloaked people striding around us. Hermione vanishes the sick with a flick of her wand. "Is there any un-screwed up way to travel in the wizarding world?" I grumble, and Hermione shoots me a brilliant smile.

"Just wait till you try the Knight Bus." I give her an incredulous look- there's an even worse way to travel? Hermione laughs at the expression on my face. "Shall we get out of here and go find a cab?" she asks in a voice that is entirely too amused. I brighten up slightly, remembering that in a few short hours I'll be seeing Edward again.

There's a definite bounce to my step as we exit Port Whiskey (the entrance/exit is in the back of an old record shop) and flag down a taxi. Hermione uses some kind of spell on the driver when he tries complaining about Widdershins, and he appears to completely forget about him, happily driving us to the airport. Hermione restores our luggage to its proper size in the bathroom, out of sight, and we then proceed to find the front gate, as if we were exiting the airport after an eight-hour flight.

A shiny silver Volvo appeared in our vision, and I just about sprinted over to it, only tripping twice. Edward emerged from the car and pulled me up into his arms, kissing me eagerly. "I've missed you." He murmured, between kisses, and I sniff, slightly.

"I've missed you too." I tell him.

"I'm so sorry, Bella." He says, hugging me gently, "I'm so, so sorry."

"I know," I tell him, with a soft smile, "and I forgive you. Now let's go home. I'm tired and jet-lagged."

"I love you." He whispers in my ear.

"I love you too." I reply.

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed Bella getting a taste of Hermione's world :) Next up, Hermione and Alice have a chat, Harry gives some advice and Leah and Hermione get someone on one time :D **


	19. Chapter Seventeen: Hermione's POV

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN:******

**Hermione's POV:**

The remainder of Sunday passed quickly. Bella and Edward hung out in her room, while I did some studying. The muggle curriculum was proving to be similar to Hogwarts, in a number of ways, and I was finding it fascinating. I was already kind of nervous about the finals, seeing as I was approximately three terms (plus a few years) behind everyone else, but I was still confident. The subjects I'd chosen were subjects I was good at, and already had a higher then rudimentary knowledge of, albeit in a slightly _different_ manner.

Dinner was a quiet affair. Charlie ordered take-away, seeing as by then my poor jet-lagged sister was practically dead on her feet, and certainly in no condition for cooking. And like Charlie, my knowledge of cooking was rudimentary- I was better when I could use magic to assist me, but that wasn't an option, with Charlie hanging around. During dinner he notified us that Jacob called, inviting Bella over after school tomorrow to visit. Due to the fact she was still grounded, she needed express permission from Charlie to do so. Lucky for Jacob, Charlie fully agreed with the idea.

After dinner, Bella retired straight upstairs and was probably asleep within minutes. I studied some more, then laid down in bed, thinking- mostly about Alice. I'd be seeing her tomorrow, for the first time since we kissed. I have to say, I'm kind of nervous, which is very unlike me. It may be because of the fact I haven't dated in so long, or it could be because she's a vampire. I snort, softly, when I realize it's more the former- how screwed up is my brain?

A soft popping noise switches me into battle mode, and I surge into action. Within about three seconds the person who apparated into my room finds themselves with my wand pressed against their throat, and I'm ready to curse the spit out of them.

"Hermione- it's me!" The intruder chokes, and, squinting in the darkness, I manage to make out scruffy black hair and two wide green eyes. I instantly relax, sitting back down on my bed.

"Don't scare me like that Harry." I grumble at him, and he sits down next to me, a sheepish look on his face.

"Sorry 'Mi." he says.

"You better be." I sigh, rolling my eyes. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"Time difference," he reminds me.

"Right." I nod. "So Ginny's back at Hogwarts for the night?"

"Yep, as of about an hour ago." He sighs, flopping backwards.

"Tired?" I ask, raising an eyebrow, and he shakes his head.

"Nope, just… drained." He admits, "I missed Forks, over the weekend. It's so much less… complicated here. Moving here was a really good idea on your part."

"I agree." I sigh, flopping down next to him. He entwines our fingers, turning his head so we're looking each other in the eye.

"Excited about seeing your vampire tomorrow?" he asks in a teasing voice. My cheeks turn bright pink. "Busted!" he crows. I glare at him.

"Is it really so amusing?" I demand. He thinks for about three seconds then nods.

"Yep. You complained about your sister's pet vamp, and now you've got the hots for one."

"I do not have the hots for Alice!" I exclaim, "I just… I just like her, okay! We share a lot of the same interests! I mean, we practically have the exact same class schedule, she loves reading, she loves shopping, she…" my voice trails off and my cheeks flare an even brighter red as I realized I'd been gushing.

"Yep. You've got the hots." Harry snickers. I roll my eyes, and turn away from him, trying to control my blazing cheeks.

"Let's go flying." I suggest- I can't blush when I'm in bird form, after all. Harry thinks for a few seconds then shrugs.

"Why not." He grins.

The sky is a deep, inky blue and thick, grey clouds hide the stars and the moon. The air feels glorious, ruffling through my feathers, and I follow Harry, swooping and soaring, as he races ahead.

We're flying over the forest when I notice the blurred white shape, and the superior eyesight of my Animagus form picks up individual features my human eyes wouldn't be able to- features like dark hair and a vaguely humanoid body. I immediately swerve, changing my flight so I'm angling towards the vampire racing along the ground.

The vampire stops in a clearing, and my heart just about sings as I recognize her- it's Alice! I glide towards her, pulling up and settling myself down on one of the old pine trees, surrounding the small clearing.

Alice is looking up at the sky, a soft expression on her face. She looks as beautiful as she always does, dressed simply in a pale blue cocktail dress, her hair ruffled by the wind. Her bright eyes turn to meet mine, and she tilts her head slightly as she takes in my form.

Oops, I cringe internally. My Animagus isn't exactly a native species in Forks, Washington. I quickly start preening my feathers, trying to act as bird-like and unassuming as possible. Alice looks away again, and I let out an internal sigh of relief.

I perch there, watching Alice as she pulls out a sketchbook and a set of pencils. I stare, entranced, as she starts sketching something down. I can't exactly see the picture, can only watch the movements of her hands, flying over the page at an inhuman speed.

After maybe an hour, Alice stands up and I almost fall off the branch when I realize what she drew- _me_.

Well, by 'me' I mean my Animagus form, but still... a touch on the alarmed side, I decide enough spying on Alice for the night, and launch myself up into the air, flying away as fast as I can back to my bedroom.

Harry's already back there, an amused expression on his face. I give him a dirty look as I clamber through the window, then cast a few quick silencing charms, so Bella's vampire can't hear us talking.

"Not a word." I warn him.

"I wasn't going to say anything!" He quickly defends himself, pulling an innocent expression on his face. Upon seeing my skeptical look he sighed, and rolled his eyes. "Okay, I was going to say something, but I wasn't going to tease you." He said.

"Now that would be a first." I remark, dryly, and he snorts.

"I was just going to give you some advice." He says, and my heart sinks.

"I know, Harry," I interrupt him, knowing where this is leading, "she's a vampire, it's not safe, yadda-yadda." Harry gives me an amused look.

"Actually, I was going to say go with your heart. You obviously have feelings for Alice- don't let what she is and what you are ruin what might be." I blink at him, several times, unable to speak. After nearly a minute passes, Harry starts looking concerned. "'Mi?" he asks. I stay silent for a few more seconds, digesting what he said.

On one hand, Harry is a complete and utter danger magnet, even more so then Bella, and any advice he gives should be taken with a grain of salt. On the other hand, he has matured quite over the last year and a bit.

"You sounded a lot like Dumbledore then." I finally say, and Harry laughs, somewhat ruefully.

"What can I say, I spent a lot of time with the man." He said, before he patted the bed beside him. "I want to ask you something." He said. Slightly confused, I slid into bed beside him, pulling the duvet up over me.

"Ask away." I nodded, when I was comfortable, and Harry looked me squarely in the eye.

"Hermione Jane Granger, will you be my best man?" he asked, in a voice that was dead serious. I kind of just looked at him for a few seconds, my eyes wide.

I have to say, I'm touched- incredibly so. In fact, I can feel a suspicious moisture pooling in my eyes, and start trickling down my cheeks. "Oh Harry," I murmur, wrapping my arms around him and holding him tight. "I would be beyond honored to be your best man," I tell him, my mouth twitching into a slight smile at my words. "But…" I say, pulling away so I can look him seriously in the eye. "But I can't do that to Ron. I know that at the moment, we've drifted apart from him, me in particular, and as much as I'd love to stand beside you on your wedding day, I don't want to drive the rift between the three of us any deeper then it already is."

Harry sighed, the expression on his face both disappointed and accepting. "I was expecting you to say that," he admitted, a small smile on his face.

"Then why did you ask me?" I demand, punching his shoulder, lightly.

"Ow." He grumbles, rubbing the area I punched him. Okay, so maybe it wasn't _that_ light. "No need to get violent, woman! Like I was saying, I was expecting you to say that, but I wanted to ask you anyway, because I do want you to be my best man, Hermione. You're my best friend in the world."

"And I'm flattered, Harry, but my answer is still no." I tell him, gently, before a yawn escapes my lips.

"Go to sleep." He tells me, kissing my cheek gently. "I'll keep trying to convince you in the morning."

"Good night, Harry," I tell him, sleepily, "and my answer is still no."

Morning came far too quickly, but at least I managed to sleep without dreaming. As usual, Charlie had already left for work, and my wards notified me that Bella's vampire had already left. I fixed myself a cup of coffee, as well as a spare one for Bella- Harry probably wouldn't wake up until noon.

By the time Bella emerged, running ten minutes late, I was ready for school, and she most decidedly… wasn't. "I overslept!" She panted, skidding into the kitchen. I rolled my eyes.

"Stand still." I told her, pulling my wand out of my pocket. She froze in position, clamming her eyes shut, and I resisted the urge to laugh. "You can open your eyes." I tell her, amused. She opens them, a sheepish look on her face. A few simple beauty spells later, she was ready to leave.

"Thank god for magic." She commented, as we stepped outside.

"You know, muggles invented this handy thing for non-magic users like yourself. It's called an alarm clock." I told her, dryly. She laughed, tossing me the car keys. Her hand-eye coordination, however, is worse then Neville's, and her throw was wildly misplaced, leaving me to go fetch the keys from the ground.

"Oops." She offered. I rolled my eyes- I seem to do that a lot in her company.

We were one of the last to pull into the parking lot, leaving the only spare space next to (surprise, surprise) the Cullen's. The bell started ringing before we'd even left the car, and we parted ways, me hurrying off to art, while Bella walked- if she tried running, she'd undoubtedly end up tripping- to her English Lit.

The class was already started, and I offered Miss Galbraith a quick apology, explaining that Bella over-slept, before slipping into my seat next to Alice. "No problem!" Miss Galbraith says cheerfully. "We're exploring watercolors this lesson, and if you've got time afterward you can start on your final's piece. Everyone else already has, so you'll have to work quickly." She advises, "it will consist of 65% of your total mark for this class."

Resisting the urge to gulp, nervously, I remind myself that I'm only taking this class in lieu of the therapy that was suggested by one of the St. Mungo's healers, in my physical evaluation, Post War.

"Hey." I greet Alice, as Miss Galbraith wanders over to the other side of the classroom, to talk to one of the other students.

"Hey to you too." Alice smiles, "how was England?"

"Wet." I tell her, with a small grin. Alice has set up the water colors between us, and has laid out a spare paintbrush for me. I give her a grateful look, before beginning my piece.

We work for the first half of the lesson in silence, my full concentration going into my artwork, while Alice seemed preoccupied.

"That's kind of eerie." She commented, on my work, about an hour into the lesson.

"Yeah, it is I guess." I agree, my eyes not leaving my work- a scarily realistic water color of the Dark Mark; a glittering green skull with a snake protruding from its mouth, set in deep contrast with the dark sky. As I'd painted it, Arthur Weasley's words, from years ago at the Quidditch World Cup, kept echoing over and over again in my mind.

_...You-Know-Who and his followers sent the Dark Mark into the air whenever they killed. The terror it inspired...you have no idea, you're too young. Just picture coming home and finding the Dark Mark hovering over your house, and knowing what you're about to find inside... Everyone's worst fear...the very worst..._

_Well I'm not too young anymore Arthur..._ Shaking my head slightly, trying to clear my mind of the memories, I turn to give Alice a strained smile. "So, how was your weekend?" I ask her, not even trying to be subtle about the subject change. "I forgot to ask before."

"Boring." Alice shrugged. "Are you okay? You seem… distant." She said, her shiny teeth worrying her bottom lip. A bottom lip I suddenly had the insane urge to kiss. Embarrassed, I ducked my head down so she couldn't see how red my cheeks turned. Unfortunately, she took it the wrong way. "Have you… changed your mind?" she asks, "about us… being an us?"

"What?" I ask, surprised, looking up. Her expression is carefully guarded, but I can see the fear in those golden eyes. "No, not at all!" I assure her, "I'm just kind of… recovering from England." Alice looks relieved.

"So you're still happy with our plans for Friday?" she asks. I smile at her.

"Definitely."

After all, Harry told me to follow my heart. And at the moment, my heart is leading me towards a certain dark haired, pixie-like vampire, with the brightest smile, and warmest eyes I've ever seen.

After school, we headed over to the reservation, like planned, with Bella driving, as she knew the way. We pulled up outside Jacob's place, a small wooden place with narrow windows. The dull red color of the paint made it resemble a tiny barn, and despite its simplicity, it was nice.

Jacob bounded out to meet Bella, pulling her into his arms and spinning her around. "Hi Hermione." He greeted me, as an afterthought. I rolled my eyes at him and waved.

"I don't want to get in your guys way, so I'm going to go have a look around the reservation," I told them, a smile playing on my mouth.

"Okay." Jacob quickly agreed, more then happy to spend some one on one time with the girl he loved, who was still painfully oblivious to the fact. Bella seemed less happy about my plan, but she nodded anyway.

There weren't many people about, and I decided to head over to the beach. I remembered it's location from one of my various nighttime flights in eagle form, and had no trouble locating it.

The waves crashing against the sand was peaceful, in a way. I sat down, pulling my knees to my chest, and just watched the ocean.

Movement on my left caught my attention, and had me leaping to my feet, falling into a defensive stance, my hand diving for my wand. I relaxed, though, when I recognized Leah hesitating in the beach entrance, her dark eyes flashing with some indecipherable emotion.

I relaxed, sitting back down, and offered the young woman a smile. "Hi Leah." I greeted her. She looked at me, not saying anything, and I resisted the urge to sigh. "Come sit down." I offered, patting the sand beside me.

"I'll leave." She said, in her husky accent.

"Please? I'm kind of bored waiting for my sister to finish with Jacob." I roll my eyes, at the thought, "she's so oblivious! She has no idea how head over heels he is for her." I snort. Leah's face relaxes into a smile, and she walks over to me.

"Yes, believe me, all the Pack know _exactly_ just how sickeningly taken he is with her." She says, gracefully lowering herself down next to me. She curls her nose, slightly. "You smell like leech."

"A hazard that comes when your sister is dating one." I say. _And when you might be kind of actually dating one too._ Leah laughs, the sound short and slightly abrupt, like she hadn't been expecting to. "Going to the toilet's a nightmare," I add, "knowing he can hear every single little sound."

Leah smiles at me, face warm. "You're a lot different then I thought you'd be." She comments, and I flash her a smile.

"I know- I'm amazing."

"You're definitely very different from your sister." She chuckles, "she's kind of… shy."

"Bella likes to talk a lot," I muse, "but only when she knows people very well. She did tell me a bit about you," I say, and Leah automatically stiffens.

"Did she tell you I was some kind of stone-hearted bitch?" She asks me, only half joking.

"No, she told me you were bitter." I say, softly. Leah's features harden, and I keep talking before she can, "she told me that your heart was broken, and now, just to rub it in, you have to listen to how much Sam loves your cousin, every time you phase."

"Well, thanks for reminding me." Leah basically snaps, and she rises to her feet, face angry and hard again.

"I can help you with that." I offer. She snorts, derisively.

"Sure you can."

"Actually, I can." I tell her, calmly, "can you keep a secret?" Leah points to her head, angrily.

"Gee, I'd love to, but thanks to the fact I'm a genetic freak, I phase into a huge furry dog and every time I do, my thoughts are completely open for grabs!" She snarls.

"What if I had a way to stop that." I say, keeping my voice soft and calm, for her sake. I can see she's getting emotional, and that's never good for a shifter. "Would you not tell anyone how I did it?" Leah looks at me with narrowed eyes.

"How exactly can you stop them from reading my mind?" she asks, her voice less hostile, and now more curious, with a hint of hope.

"It's called Occlumency," I explain, "it's a special… skill I have. I can set up shields in your mind so that while you'll still be able to communicate with the other wolves in your pack, but you'll be able to keep your minds separate from them- they won't be privy to your mind, and you won't be privy to theirs. All communication is through direct intention, nothing unintentional."

"How does it work?" Leah demands, basically falling into a crouch on the sand beside me.

"This is the bit that's a secret." I tell her, "promise you'll keep it?" She hesitates for a few second, then nods.

"I promise." She says, her voice oddly soft. I cast a quick look around the beach, making doubly sure it's completely abandoned, before pulling my wand out of my pocket. Leah eyes it, skeptically.

"Is this a joke?" she asks, her voice turning hostile again.

"I'm not exactly human," I tell her, settling for the short and sweet explanation and flicking my wand at the white exercise shirt she's wearing. It instantly changes color to yellow, then back again. "Obviously, I can do much more then that, but that's the quickest example I can give you right now." I tell her.

She looks indecisive, like she can't decide whether she really believes me or not. Me? I'm wondering what on earth possessed me to basically reveal my secret to a stranger. _Because I couldn't bare hearing about her in pain when I could do something about it._

"Okay, let's say I believe you, and that you really can do what you say you can… how does it work?" Leah asks, finally.

"Like this." I say, pointing my wand at her head. "_Legilimens_!"

The second I'm inside Leah's mind, I'm basically assaulted by the sheer force of misery and self-hatred she's carrying. The pain from Sam's rejection of her love, and then the betrayal of her childhood best friend and cousin Emily, the sense of responsibility for causing her father's death… it's all churning inside her, the weight of it turning her thoughts bitter and depressed.

But Leah was a strong woman, and it took very little magical aid from me to help build the Occlumency walls in her mind, protecting her memories, her mind, guarding them from the Pack.

When I pull out of her mind, we're both exhausted, me more so then her, and I slump down on the sand. Nearly thirty minutes has passed since I went into her mind, and I wonder if I look as pale and exhausted as I feel. "Try phasing." I tell her, in a shaky voice.

Leah looks exhausted too, and her russet skin looks shades lighter then it's supposed to, but she manages to stumble to her feet and quickly strip out of her clothes. Her body begins vibrating, before exploding outwards into a massive grey wolf. I watch wolf-Leah sit down, head cocked, for several minutes, before she phases back.

I make a point to turn my back, obviously more embarrassed by her nakedness then she is. "I'm not worried about you seeing me naked." She says, in a voice that's trembling slightly.

"I'm gay," I tell her, still looking away, "you're really hot and looking at you naked makes me feel like a perv."

"Okay then, I'm dressed." Leah says, her voice sounding amused, and I turn back to face her. She's back dressed in her baggy shorts and exercise top, and her eyes are wide. "I can't believe that worked." She said, shaking her head slowly, "I thought you were kind of nuts, to be honest, but when I phased… I couldn't hear everyone's thoughts. Not until they actually started speaking to me, asking why they couldn't hear my mind."

"What did you tell them?" I asked, curious and slightly anxious. Leah grins at me, her face looking much brighter.

"I told them I went to a yoga class and learned how to meditate." I laugh at that, and she joins me.

"What were their reactions to that?" I ask, when I finally stop laughing.

"They didn't quite believe me, but I phased back before they could keep asking questions." She said, smugly. "Want to come back to my place for dinner?" She asked, looking at her wrist, where a bulky watch rested.

"What time is it?" I asked, curious, as I stashed my wand back in my pocket.

"Nearly six." She said.

"I'd love to, then." I told her, "let me just go tell Bella first." She agreed, and we made our way back to the Black's house, were Billy had rolled his chair out to the front lawn, his face pulled tight. I quickened my step, scanning the area for Bella, and noting that both she and the Chevy were missing. "Where's Bella?" I demanded, fear flaring up inside me.

"She and Jake argued." Billy said, his voice heavy. "Bella left about ten minutes ago, and Jake phased and went off into the woods."

"What the hell did he do to her?" I yell at Billy, furious. For Bella to have been so emotional that she forgot about me, meant that something serious had happened.

"I don't know." Billy said, helplessly.

"Well that's just not fucking good enough!" I shouted at him. The phone inside the house started ringing, and Billy wheeled himself back into the house to get it, while I just about trembled with rage. Leah grabbed my hand and squeezed it gently, eyes concerned and fierce.

"I can give you a ride back." She said, softly. "Then I'll phase and go kick his ass." I smile at her, shakily, as my mind races.

"Hermione?" Billy calls, from inside the house, "it's for you!" I hesitate, then realize it might be Bella calling- I haven't got a phone yet, so it made sense that she rang here to contact me- and stride into the house. Leah walks beside me, a pillar of support.

I grab the phone from Billy, purposefully not looking at him. "Bella?" I ask, holding it to my ear.

"Hey 'Mi," Bella says, in a voice that's raspy from crying.

"Oh god Bella, what the hell happened?" I demand.

"Jacob said… he said…" Bella burst back into tears before she could finish her sentence, and suddenly it was Alice's voice on the other end of the line.

"Hey Hermione, Bella's safe. Edward got her after she crossed the treaty line and brought her back to our place." She explained.

"Okay. Good." I sigh, raking my fingers through my hair.

"Do you need a lift?" Alice asks, "I've already rung Charlie and told him that you're helping me with my homework, and Bella came along for the ride. He's fine with it."

"Um… can I meet you at the treaty line?" I ask her.

"Sure." She says, and I can basically hear her smiling, "we can do our physics homework." She suggests, and I feel myself brighten up.

"Good idea. See you in ten?"

"Bye Hermione." Alice says, and she hangs up.

Leah is looking at the phone, a somewhat twisted expression on her face. "Can we do a rain check on dinner tonight?" I ask her, "I need to go check on Bella. Apparently she's at the boyfriend's house, though I'm guessing you heard from the conversation." Leah nods, wryly.

"That's fine. Why don't we do dinner tomorrow. You can bring Charlie and Bella." She suggests

"Great." I smile, happy at the idea that I might have made a new friend. "Um… could you give me a quick ride to the treaty line?" I ask, and suddenly her smile is somewhat mischievous.

"I could just manage that." She says, in a teasing voice. Slightly nervous about the expression on her face, I follow her out the front warily, not giving Billy a single glance. Out on the front lawn, Leah turns to face me and winks. "Jump on." She says, before stripping out of her clothes, bundling then into a cord attached to her ankle, and phasing into a huge, grey wolf.

The wolf kneels down, and cocks her head. I face-palm. "You're lucky I've ridden a hippogryph." I grumble at her, before awkwardly climbing onto her back. I grip onto the scruff of her neck, tightly, my legs gripping her sides. She lets out a bark of laughter, before taking off through the forest. I press myself down against her soft fur, enjoying the heat that's radiating from her body, as she moves at what feels like the speed of light.

A joyful howl escapes from her, and I can't help but laughing and mimicking the sound. We reach the treaty line in no time, and she kneels against so I can slide off her, before phasing back. Once again, I turn away until she dresses. "The road's up here." She smiles.

"Thank you Leah." I say, and she surprises me by wrapping her arms around me, tightly.

"No, thank you Hermione." She says, her voice mock-stern. I laugh.

"See you tomorrow Leah."

I walk for a few minutes in the direction Leah pointed out, and came across the road where a bright yellow Porsche was idling. Grinning, I picked up my pace, and the passenger door swung open. "Hi Alice." I greeted the pixie, as I slid into place. Alice's nose automatically wrinkled.

"Gross!" She whined, "you smell like a wet dog!" I laugh, doing up my seat belt.

"Yeah, I hung out with Leah." I tell her, and a small growl escapes her lips, as she presses down on the accelerator. My mouth curves into a grin as I recognize her problem. "Are you jealous, Alice?" I ask her, in a teasing voice.

"No." she grumbles, even as her hands tighten on the steering wheel hard enough to leave deep hand-shaped indents. I laugh.

"Relax, pixie, I'm all yours." I tell her, before my cheeks erupt into a brilliant scarlet as I realize what I just said. Alice relaxes, and turns to give me a decidedly seductive smile.

"Oh, is that right?" she purrs. I scowl at her.

"You know what I meant." She laughs, as the car swings into the long driveway. I have to look down to hide my smile.

"Don't worry Hermione, I do." She says, as she pulls into the garage. I set aside the Alice situation as I step out of the car, now focused on finding out what upset Bella.


	20. Chapter Eighteen: Bella's POV

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN:**

**Bella's POV:**

After Hermione disappeared off walking, Jacob and I wandered into his bedroom, where we flopped down on his bed. I was still tired from my England adventure, and was having trouble keeping my eyes open, much to Jake's amusement.

"So, didja have fun?" he asked, lazing backwards against the pillows.

"It was amazing," I grinned, "I mean, everything was _magical_." I hid my grin as I said that, enjoying the quip, even though Jacob had no idea about the double meaning behind it. "I got invited to a wedding." I add, when Jacob raises an eyebrow, signaling for more details.

"Neat! Who's wedding?" He asks.

"One of Hermione's best friend's older brother's." I say, and Jacob grins.

"That's a mouthful. So…" He said, after a few long moments, "wanna go ride the motorcycles?" I roll my eyes at him.

"I really don't think I'm allowed." I tell him, dryly. Jacob scowls slightly.

"Why? Because of the leech?" He asks, his face darkening.

"No, because of _Charlie_." I sigh, rolling my eyes. "He still hasn't forgiven you, for building the 'death trap' and allowing me to ride it." I tell him, using my fingers as quote marks. Jacob gives me a sheepish smile, and then his expression fades slightly, becoming darker.

"Bella," he begins, his voice oddly quiet, "you know that day, when I brought the bike over… I've been wanting to ask you something, but also… not wanting to." he spoke slowly, hesitantly, and I held still- a reaction to stress that I'd picked up from Edward. "Were you just being stubborn because you were mad at me, or were you really serious?" he whispered, as though he couldn't bare to say the words out loud.

"About what?" I whispered back, though I was sure I knew exactly what he meant. He glared at me, obviously thinking the same thing.

"You know. When you said it was none of my business… if- if he bit you." He cringed visibly at the end.

"Jake…" my throat felt swollen. I couldn't finish. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Were you serious?" He was trembling, just slightly. A warning sign. His eyes stayed closed, and I wondered how to put this most delicately. In the end, I went for simple.

"Yes." I whispered, and Jacob inhaled, slow and deep.

"I guess I knew that." He murmured, and I stared at his face, waiting for his eyes to open. "You know what this will mean?" He demanded, suddenly. "You do understand that, don't you? What will happen if they break the treaty?"

"We'll leave first," I said, in a small voice. His eyes flashed open, their black depths full of anger and pain.

"There wasn't a geographic limit to the treaty, Bella! Our great-grandfathers only agreed to keep the peace because the Cullens swore that they were different, that humans weren't in danger from them! They promised they would never kill or change anyone ever again! If they go back on their word, the treaty is meaningless, and they are no different than any other vampire! Once that's established, when we find them again-"

"But, Jake, didn't you break the treaty already?" I interrupt him, grasping at straws. "Wasn't part of it that you not tell people about the vampires? And you told me! So isn't the treaty sort of moot, anyway?" Jacob didn't like the reminder; the pain in his eyes hardened into animosity.

"Yeah, I broke the treaty- back before I believed any of it. And I'm sure they were informed of that." He flared, sourly at my forehead. "But it's not like that gives them a freebie or anything. There's no fault for a fault. They have only one option if they object to what I did- the same option we'll have when they break the treaty: to attack. To start the war."

He made it sound so inevitable and I shuddered. "God, Jake, it doesn't have to be that way!" I told him, angrily. His teeth ground together.

"It _is_ that way." The silence after his declaration felt very loud.

"Will you never forgive me, Jacob?" I whispered. As soon as I said the words, I wished I hadn't. I didn't want to hear his answer.

"You won't be Bella anymore," he told me, eyes pained, "my friend won't exist. There won't be anyone to forgive."

"That sounds like a no, then." I whispered. We faced each other for an endless moment. "Is this good bye then, Jake?" I asked, finally, and he blinked rapidly, his fierce expression melting into surprise

"Why? We still have a few years. Can't we be friends until we're out of time?"

"Years? No, Jake, not years." I shook my head, and laughed once without humor. "_Weeks_ is more accurate." I was not expecting his reaction. He was suddenly on his feet, and his whole body was quivering with anger. "Jake!" I started to say, but I fell silent when a loud growling sound escaped his throat.

I froze in place, too shocked to remember how to move. The shaking rolled through him, getting faster, until it looked like he was vibrating. His shape blurred…

And then Jacob gritted his teeth together, and the growling stopped. He squeezed his eyes tight shut in concentration; the quivering slowed until only his hands were shaking. And then he spoke. "Weeks," he said, in a flat, monotone voice. I couldn't respond- I was still frozen.

He opened his eyes, and they were beyond fury now. "He's going to change you into a filthy bloodsucker in just a few weeks?" Jacob hissed through his teeth. Too stunned to take offense at his words, I just nodded mutely. His face turned green under the russet skin.

"Jacob," I whispered, after a long minute of silence, "he's _seventeen_! And I get closer to nineteen every day. Besides, what's the point in waiting? He's all I want. What else can I do?" I'd mean that as a rhetorical question. His words cracked like snaps of a whip.

"Anything! Anything else! You'd be better of dead! I'd rather you were!"

I recoiled like he'd slapped me. It hurt worse than if he had. And then, as the pains shot through me, my own temper burst into flames. "Maybe you'll get lucky!" I shouted, as I lurched to my feet. "Maybe I'll crash on my way back!"

He didn't move as I passed him and I stormed from his bedroom, through the house, out to my truck. I was so angry and so upset, that I forgot that Hermione was with me, that she'd probably start freaking out when she realized I was gone.

I just stomped down on the accelerator and sped out of La Push, as fast as the Chevy could make it.

I made it past the treaty line before I broke down into tears. I parked the car on the side of the road, brought my knees up to my chest, and started bawling. Misery, despair and anger rolled through me in unending waves, and I was crying so hard that I couldn't even breathe properly.

Edward appeared after less then ten minutes, quietly letting himself into the car. Like a child, I looked up at him through a veil of tears and opened my arms, silently asking him to hold me, to comfort me.

He didn't disappoint, pulling me into his arms, onto his lap, rocking me gently as he cradled me to him. As I ruined his ivory shirt with my tears, he hummed my lullaby, and whispered sweet nothings into my ear.

It took me nearly fifteen minutes for my tears to slow to the odd sniff. "Do you want to go back to my house?" Edward spoke up. I sniffed and nodded, wiping my eyes away with the back of my sleeve. Edward smiled, softly, and plucked a handkerchief from his pocket. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, and accepted the offering.

"Of course you keep a hankie. It's not like you actually ever need to blow your nose." I mutter to him, before proceeding to do so, with a trumpet-like noise that made my cheeks flush bright red. Edward chuckled, lightly, and ran his fingers along my cheek.

"Do you want me to drive?" He asked, gently, and I nodded- my eyes felt too sore and swollen to concentrate on the road.

"Yeah, thanks." I said, softly. Edward slipped out from underneath me, over into the driver's seat. I buckled up my seat belt, as Edward turned the keys in the ignition, pulling a face at the roaring sound the engine made.

"You need a new car." He muttered. I mock-glared at him.

"I like my car." I told him. Edward rolled his eyes, as he pressed down on the accelerator.

We drove back to the Cullen residence- a.k.a. mansion, and Edward led the way up to his room. We didn't run into anyone else on the way, something for which I was relieved. When we were in his room, we sat on his couch, and I slumped against him, the happier emotions that had come with our light banter fading.

"Bella… what happened?" Edward asked, gently. I looked down at my hands as my breath caught in my throat.

"I thought…" I hesitated and tried swallowing, the lump in my throat making it hard to speak, "I thought Jake would have realized… I didn't think it would surprise him." Edward waited, patiently, as I angrily wiped away the tears that had sprung to my eyes. "He wasn't expecting… that it was so soon."

"Ah." Edward said, quietly.

"He said he'd rather see me dead!" My voice broke at the last word. Edward was too still for a moment, controlling whatever reaction he didn't want me to see. Then he crushed me gently to his chest.

"I'm so sorry." He murmured, resting his cheek on my hair. We stayed like that for a few moments, before someone knocked lightly on the door. Edward frowned.

"Alice?" he asked, and the pixie-vampire stuck her head in.

"Hi Bella," she smiled, her face carefully hiding any signs that she might have heard our conversation. "I was just wondering if Hermione was at your place." She explained. I instantly paled.

"Oh crap!" I exclaimed, sitting bolt upright, cursing myself internally. "Crap, crap, crap!"

"What's the matter?" Edward asked, and I groaned, loudly, into my hands.

"I left Hermione at the rez." I mumbled, embarrassed and angry at myself, "god, she's going to be freaking out! And she doesn't have a phone number! How am I supposed to contact her? I have to drive back and get her, but I don't know where she is! God, if she sees Jake she's going to kill him!" I worry, out loud, and Edward gently pulls my hands away from my face.

"Why don't you ring the Black family residence," he suggests, "Billy might know where to find her."

"Okay, okay," I nod, and Edward pulls his phone out of his pocket and hands it to me. I dial Jake's home number with trembling fingers- if he's the one who picks up the phone, I'm not sure if I'll be able to talk.

It rings for nearly a minute before a gruff voice answers. "Billy Black speaking." Relief washes through me.

"Billy… um, it's Bella. Is Hermione there?" I ask, carefully controlling my voice, keeping it calm and collected, even when I'm feeling the complete and utter opposite. I wonder how much of the conversation between Jake and me Billy heard? It's a small house.

"She's right here, let me get her for you." Billy says, his voice now carefully blank. Seconds later, it's Hermione's voice washing over the phone line.

"Bella?" she demands, her British accent thicker in her panic.

"Hey 'Mi." I say, feeling emotion wash through me. God, I feel like such a crappy sister.

"Oh god Bella, what happened?" She demanded. I swallow, thickly.

"Jacob said… he said…" _Anything! Anything else! You'd be better of dead! I'd rather you were! _I burst into tears before I can finish my sentence, and I hold the phone away from me, silently requesting for someone else to talk to her. Alice, quick as lightning, grabs it.

"Hey Hermione, Bella's safe." Alice tells my sister, and a wave of gratitude for the pixie washes over me. "Edward got her after she crossed the treaty line and brought her back to our place." Alice is silent for a few seconds as Hermione responds, and then she speaks up again.

"Do you need a lift? I've already rung Charlie and told him that you're helping me with my homework, and Bella came along for the ride. He's fine with it." More gratitude- in my somewhat emotional state, I'd forgotten that I was grounded. "Sure!" Alice chirps happily, over the phone line, "bye Hermione!"

She hangs up and hands the phone back to Edward. "Don't worry, Bella, she's calmed down and I'm going to pick her up from the treaty line." Alice answers my unspoken question.

"Thanks Alice." I sigh, slumping back into Edward again, using the balled up handkerchief he gave me before to wipe my eyes dry. Alice vanishes from the room, a skip to her step, and Edward smiles fondly after her. "She really loves Hermione, doesn't she." I say, and Edward chuckles, lowly.

"That she does." He agrees, before hesitated. "Are you… are you okay?" He asks. I sigh, heavily.

"No," I admit, "He was my best friend… he _is_ my best friend. I just… I don't want to lose him." Edward kisses me, gently.

"I'm sorry Bella." He says, voice pained. I close my eyes against the freshest wave of tears.

"It's not you fault. I've made my choice." I tell him, my voice strong. "I want to be with you. I love you." _I may not have Jacob anymore, but I'll always have the memories._

"I love you too." Edward responded.


	21. Chapter Nineteen: Hermione's POV

**CHAPTER NINETEEN:**

**Hermione's POV:**

After the La Push incident I didn't know whether to comfort Bella or throttle her, so I settled with both. Her vampire wasn't very happy with me chewing her out, but I ignored his growling and did it gently. Bella was very apologetic, and after I finished lecturing her, I let her cry on my shoulder.

That Monday afternoon pretty much set the tone for the rest of the week. I had to ring Leah and post-pone dinner with her family for Saturday night, because I was so swamped with schoolwork.

The Cullens, Bella and Charlie quickly learned to stay out of my way while I was studying or doing homework. I was starting to panic that I'd been overconfident in my assumption that I'd easily be able to catch up when I found myself slipping several times and writing down information relating to the Wizarding world.

Not to mention, it felt bizarre not using a quill, bottle of ink and parchment. Despite what I thought when I first went to Hogwarts and found it archaic, old fashioned, I found myself missing it.

Harry, well used to my panic regarding schoolwork, was wisely giving me my space. While he was sleeping at Forks every night, he'd started his Healer training at St. Mungos, apparating there in the morning, leaving him busy studying at night.

Alice managed to corner me on Thursday afternoon and told me that under no circumstances was I getting out of our date on Friday, so despite my worrying about a physics paper that was due on Monday, Friday afternoon I found myself dressed nicely in skinny jeans and a tight, peach colored blouse, waiting on Alice's arrival.

I'd used a liberal amount sleekeazy potion to untangle my hair, somewhat, the process vividly reminding me of the Yule Ball, and my subsequent (now broken) promise never to bother using the stuff again. Once my hair was reasonably straight, I had braided it.

Bella had laughed at me when I tried to apply make-up and ended up stabbing myself with the eyeliner, and smearing the mascara on my eyelid. In the end, I ditched the muggle method, and used a few beauty charms I'd picked up from living in the same dorm as Lavender and Parvati for six years.

Alice pulled up outside the house at a quarter past four, perfectly on time. After Bella had left me behind at the reservation with no means of contact, Alice had found a spare phone in her mammoth house that she'd given to me, with all the Cullen's numbers, as well as Bella's, programmed in. I had the slightest suspicion that Alice was lying about it being an old phone, seeing as it was in impeccable shape and a recent model, but I knew the Cullens were loaded, and it was nice having a way to contact Bella.

"Ring me if something feels even the slightest bit off, or you need advice, or... well, if you need anything, okay?" I make her promise, several times. She rolls her eyes at me.

"Relax, Edward will be here, and Harry's arriving back in forty-five minutes." She reminds me. Harry's worked out a routine where after his training, he apparates back to Port Olympia and catches a bus back to Forks, as to avoid suspicion. With the time differences between England and America, his body clock's all of rhythm, and he sleeps so much that I don't have a flying partner at night anymore.

I climb into the passenger seat of Alice's brand new, bright yellow Porsche, and she beams at me. "Hi Hermione." She greets me.

"Hey Al." I return. Alice looks like a supermodel, albeit an incredibly short one. She's dressed in a short black skirt, knee high boots, and a skintight sweater. Honestly, she looks perfectly edible.

"You look beautiful." The tiny vampire tells me, and I feel my cheeks warm slightly as I blush.

"Thanks. You do too- obviously." I lean back into the soft leather, enjoying the new car smell, as Alice drives through Forks, at least twenty miles over the speed limit. "You're lucky I know your reflexes are like lightning." I tell her, as the speedometer twitches past 110 on the open road, leading to Port Olympia. Alice's laughter is like bells.

"You have the sexiest accent, you know." She smirks, wiggling her eyebrows in my direction.

"You wouldn't find it so sexy after living in Britain for eight years," I rebut, returning her lascivious look, "personally, I find it very common place. Your Yankee accent however..." I trail off, licking my lips suggestively.

Our flirting has become somewhat of a game and a tease at the same time. While complimenting each other, Alice tries to make me blush and I try to make her show the vampire equivalent of blushing- some kind of loss of control. Alice has it much easier- while I blush easily, trying to make a vampire react is hard. Very hard. Which makes every victory that much sweeter... and hotter, I can't help thinking as her eyes darken slightly, her pupils dilating, her gaze stuck on my lips.

"Better concentrate on the road, love." I murmur, in my huskiest, most thickly accented voice. Alice's breath hitches, and her eyes, now pitch black, move up to meet mine, as she slams down the breaks.

The Porsche skids to a halt, and I bounce forward in my seat slightly, gasping as the seatbelt winds me, but then Alice's lips are pressed against mine, her hips straddling mine, and her hands threaded through my hair. I tilt my head back, moaning, as her tongue, cold as ice, trace the shape of my lips, before darting into my mouth.

Our tongues entwine in a dance of passion, and there's a heat building up in my lower abdomen, sending tingles throughout my body. As I pull back, panting for breath, Alice's icy lips travel down to press against my throat, my collar bone, then back up to my lips.

I can basically feel the blood rushing through my veins, can feel every touch, every move, the beautiful, goddess-like creature straddling my lap is making. This feels so right, so perfect.

I let my fingers trail down her sides, then slipping under her shirt to caress the hard, taut muscles of her abdomen. She moans, her hips twitching somewhat, and her hands are suddenly over mine, guiding them higher, so that my fingertips are brushing across the lace of her bra, and the hardening bumps underneath the flimsy, expensive material .

I inhale a shaky breath as Alice tosses her head back and pants, her black eyes glazed.

How beautiful she must look making love, my mind whispers. All wild and uninhibited... Her hands leave their position above mine, to make their way under my sweater, long fingers playing with the hem of my jeans, slipping under in a teasing manner, before gliding up across the skin of my stomach, igniting a path of goosebumps along my flushed skin.

A sudden honking brings us both back to the present as a truck barrages past us, and my cheeks go bright red in mortification as I realize that we're parked in the middle of the road, snogging frantically, with our hands up each other's shirts.

Alice looks similarly chagrined as she slides off my lap and climbs back over to her seat, adjusting her top as she does so. My cheeks must resemble a tomato, even as my groin aches in a most infuriating way. I cross my legs, the movement doing nothing to dull the itch of my arousal.

"So," Alice says, combing a strand of her hair back behind her ears, "that just happened." I laugh, recognizing my own words, before adding.

"Again."

"I'm sorry I lost control." Alice blurted out, looking ashamed.

"I'm not." I tell her, "I'm just sorry that we've probably become a part of the wanking material for the guy in the truck." Alice laughs at that, relaxing.

"That is so not a mental picture I wanted."

"I think it's one he's treasuring." I snicker. Alice makes a face. "So where are we going in Port Olympia, anyway?" I ask, when Alice starts the engine again.

"Movies," Alice smiles, before her face falls slightly, "I hope we don't get there late."

"With your crazy driving?" I snort, stomach crawling a bit as the needle on the speedometer races towards the 100 as Alice floors the accelerator.

As we drive along, chatting about the week, me fretting about the workload while Alice rolls her eyes at me, I pointedly ignore the ache in my lower groin, sticking to the mantra stop thinking about it and it'll go away. With Alice in the car next to me though? Not likely.

Its times like these I'm relieved I'm not a guy, I think, blessing my lucky stars.

Port Olympia seems nice enough, and I was right- with Alice's driving we do make it in time for the pictures (of which Alice seems to find amusing- in my opinion it's no less amusing then 'cinema' or 'movies').

The movie is (somewhat ironically, in my opinion) Alice in Wonderland. Alice, despite my protests, bought me a large bucket of popcorn, and we found seats near the back of the picture theatre.

I enjoyed the opening, and somewhere during the first scene Alice's hand found mine, and the pixie gave me a cheeky grin. I rolled my eyes, but at the same time entwined my fingers around hers.

Everything went well until the battlefield scene, near the end of the movie. I'm not exactly sure what happened, just that my stomach started twisting itself into knots, and my palms started sweating. "Are you alright?" Alice murmured, as her hand was still entwined in mine. I watched the 'Alice' character walk towards her fate, except in my head a similar scene was playing, with Harry walking to his fate, in the middle of the Forbidden Forest.

"No, no, no!" I murmured, the same panic I'd felt back then rising in me now. A wave of nausea washed through me and I gagged, loudly, even as my body locked into place, frozen. HARRY! I tried to scream, to cry, but my body was frozen as I watched him approach the dark, cloaked figure in the clearing.

_Voldemort turned, slowly, and his scarlet eyes shone with a vicious glee, his lipless mouth curving into a mocking grin. "Harry Potter, the boy who lived, come to die." He hissed, his voice barely a whisper. None of the Death Eaters moved. They were waiting: everything was waiting... Voldemort raised his wand, his head tilted to one side like a curious child wondering how to proceed. My body was shaking, sweat was pouring down my sides, as I cursed Harry for doing this, for walking willingly to his death. A terrible fear gripped me as Harry didn't even raise his wand, just stood there, chin held high, a weary hero. Then Voldemort's mouth was moving, and there was a brilliant green light..._

"HARRY!" I screamed, struggling against the hard restraints pulling me, moving me. Cold air washed over me, which seemed wrong, because the night I watched Harry sacrifice himself was tepid, and while this air was fresh, crisp, the air during the battle was heavy and filled with smoke.

Confusion filtered through me, disrupting the scene playing out in front of me. A sweet, melodic voice was calling out my name, over and over, and I fixated on the voice, focusing all my concentration on the one sound.

The Forbidden Forest faded around me, the scene replacing it one of traffic, and lights, the oddest bit of smog, and an angelic figure crouched beside me, where I was slumped against the wall of a building.

"A-Alice?" I croaked. My voice felt raspy, heavy, wrong.

"Hey." Alice says, and she tries to smile, but I can see the fear and worry on her face, as clear as day.

"Sorry I ruined the movie." I tell her, sighing, wondering how she managed to escort me from inside the theatre, to out here. I suppose super-strength comes in handy, every now and then. Alice gives me an incredulous look.

"Hermione, I couldn't give a damn about the movie! Are you alright?" She asks, her voice revealing her panic.

"I get flashbacks sometimes." I tell her, reaching out to grab her hand, looking her straight in the eye. "I've had a... _trying_ few years. Sometimes random things trigger me, and I have an... episode."

This is half the truth. Nightmares and flashbacks are just two of the multiple symptoms I've experienced since my time spent in Malfoy Manor, under Bellatrix's 'tender' care. I'm not an idiot- in all probability, I suffer a form of PTSD. And I'm dealing with it, in my own way.

Which consists mostly of ignoring it when I can, and lying about it, even to myself, when I can't, a little voice inside my head accuses me.

"Are you seeing anyone about this? Are you on any medication? Have you talked to Charlie?" Alice asks, in rapid fire.

"Yes, I've talked to an adult, no it wasn't Charlie, and no I'm not on any medication." I answer her, the best I can, while carefully avoiding the 'are you seeing anyone about it' question. She doesn't look particularly happy with my answers, her lips pressing together in a thin line, but she doesn't push it.

"Want to go for a walk along the waterfront?" she says, instead. "The movie's basically finished, and we can just ask Bree what happened at the end- she went and saw it the other day with Jasper."

"Sounds good." I tell her, with a relieved smile. Alice gently helps me to my feet, and I'm grateful for her support. My legs still feel a touch like jelly, and her support is much appreciated.

The waterfront is quiet, calm. Our fingers entwined, we walk in silence, appreciating the beauty of the night. Above us, the sky is a blanket of stars, and I find myself wishing I was flying. And that Alice was flying with me.

"It's such a beautiful night." Alice murmurs, following my gaze. I smile.

"Yes, it is." I agree.

We sit down, near one of the docks, where the scent of the ocean is strong, but not overwhelming. Alice leans against me, and I thread my fingers through her dark, silky hair.

The magnitude of my feelings for her is shocking me. I'm a practical girl, logical to the point of icy. I'm not a big believer of falling for someone I've only just recently met. But Alice seems perfect, like she was made for me, and I for her.

I love talking to her.

I love being with her.

I think... I think I might just love her.

I think some of my shock might have been reflected on my face because Alice spoke up. "What are you thinking about?" she asked, softly. I curled a strand of her silky hair around my fingers and wondered if I should tell the truth.

_I've had enough of lying._

"I'm just thinking about how..." I hesitate, not sure how to put this, "how strong my feelings are. About you." I admit, looking away from her, over at the water, as I blush.

"You feel like it was meant to be." Alice says, her voice barely louder then a whisper. "Like you've just found your other half. Your feelings for this basic stranger are overwhelming, but feel so right."

I turn back to Alice, my eyes meeting hers as understanding dawns on me. "Yes." I whisper.

"I mated on you. And I think you just realized that." Alice says, in the most timid, vulnerable voice I've ever heard her use.

"Yes." I whisper again.

"Do you still want to see me?" Alice looks terrified as she asks this, and I realize why- she's just given me a way out. If this is too much, too sudden, too soon, now is the time to run.

If I don't want to be with a vampire, now is the time to get up and leave.

"Alice," I say, looking straight into her beautiful, golden eyes, "will you be my girlfriend?" 


	22. Chapter Twenty: Bella's POV

**CHAPTER TWENTY:**

**Bella's POV:**

On Friday afternoon, after I helped Hermione dress up for her date with Alice, I sat down in front of the TV with Charlie, reading Pride and Prejudice as he watched a base ball game.

About fifteen minutes into our quiet afternoon together, the phone started ringing and Charlie got up to answer it. "Hey Jake," I heard him say, and my entire body stiffened. _You'd be better off dead! I'd rather you were!_ I stiffened my jaw and scowled at the writing in front of me.

"Sure, I'll pass it on." Charlie said, and I ground my teeth together. I wasn't at all surprised when Charlie walked back over and pressed pause on the TV. "So, that was Jacob," he began and I nodded stiffly.

"I know." Charlie sighed, seeing the stubborn look on my face.

"Bells, he said he's sorry and he didn't mean it. He'd like you to call him. Give him a break, he sounded really torn up." My dad lectured me. I scowled.

"No." I snapped, before turning back to my book.

"Bella…" Charlie sighed, "that's not very attractive behavior. Forgiveness is divine."

"Mind your own business." I muttered under my breath, pointedly ignoring him, and Charlie pulled my book out of my hands. "Hey!" I complained, and he gave me a wry grin.

"How about this, then- you go visit Jake and I'll unground you." I perked up, despite myself, intrigued by this. I'd been grounded for almost two months now, after skipping town for three days, only leaving Charlie a note. Plus, there was the motorbike thing.

In my head I weighed the Pros and Cons- pro? Edward could start coming over straight after school and I could go to his house. Cons? I am still majorly pissed off at Jacob.

But… but Charlie said he sounded upset. Maybe he really was sorry. Maybe he didn't mean it. I have to say, it would make me feel a whole heap better if I heard that from his mouth. "Fine." I decide, standing up and walking over to the bench to grab my car keys. "I'm not sure what time I'll be back." I walked out the front and hopped into my truck, pausing only to text Edward that I was going to La Push to visit Jake.

_Are you sure?_ Was his reply.

_Yes :) _I typed back._ Charlie will un-ground me if I do! _

The drive to La Push felt longer then normal, and my stomach was twisting in uncomfortable circles. I loved Jacob- he was like my brother. I couldn't bare the idea of losing him, and I prayed that we could work this out.

I pulled up outside the Black residence, sat in my truck for a few minutes, nervous and hesitant, before taking a few deep breaths and stepping out. I walked up to the front door and rapped on it loudly a few times.

The door practically flew open and Jacob scooped me up into his arms. I instantly hugged him back, tears of relief threatening to spill down my cheeks. After almost a minute he put me down, and I got my first good look at him.

He looked different, maybe even sick. His eyelids drooped and his face was drawn. His shaggy hair stuck out in random directions, and it was almost down to his chin in places. "I am so, so sorry Bella." He told me, his voice basically trembling with emotion. "I didn't mean it, I swear to God!"

I couldn't help but forgive him, he looked so dejected and earnest. "I forgive you Jake." I tell him, and he lets out a sigh of relief, which somehow turns into a massive yawn. I frown. "Are you okay?"

"Just tired." He says, rubbing his eyes and managing a weak smile. "What do you want to do?" I eyed him for a moment.

"Let's just hang out at your place for now." I suggested. Honestly, he didn't look like he was up for much more then that.

"Sounds great." He said, giving me a relieved smile. His house was empty, and that felt strange. I realized I thought of Billy kind of like a permanent fixture there.

"Hey, where's your dad?" I asked Jacob, curious, as he led the way to the couch. He flopped down on the tiny sofa and picked up the remote, turning on the TV without really even thinking about it. He shuffled over to make room for me, and I squeezed in place beside him.

"Over at the Clearwaters'. He's been hanging out over there a lot since Harry died. Sue gets lonely." He answered me.

"Oh that's nice. Poor Sue."

"Uh-huh." He agreed, lost in thought.

"What's with you, Jake? You're like a zombie." I tell him, and he gives me a sheepish look.

"I got about two hours sleep last night, and four the night before." He explains, before he slumped back to rest his head against the wall. "I'm exhausted."

"Why aren't you sleeping?" I asked, concerned. Jacob made a face.

"Sam's been difficult. He doesn't trust your bloodsuckers. I've been running double shifts for two weeks and nobody's touched me yet, but he still doesn't buy it."

"Double shifts? Is this because you're trying to watch out for me?" I ask, my voice worried, "Jake, that's wrong! You need to sleep! I'll be fine!"

"Is Victoria… gone yet?" he asks, raising an eyebrow. His eyes abruptly more alert. I slumped back against the couch.

"No." I admit, and he gives me a pointed look.

"Then I'll be around." He said, as his eyes slid closed. I considered arguing my point further, then sighed, deciding to let him sleep for now.

I knew he'd fallen asleep when he started snoring, and I couldn't help smiling at him, amused, even as my stomach crawled with worry. Poor Jacob. I studied his dreaming face, and liked what I saw. While he slept, every trace of defensiveness and bitterness disappeared and suddenly he was the body who had been my best friend before all the werewolf crap had gotten in the way.

He looked so much younger… he looked like my Jacob.

I nestled into the couch to wait out his nap, hoping he would sleep for a while and make up some of what he had lost. I eased the remote out of his limp fingers, and switched the channels, eventually settling for a cooking show.

I let my mind wander, thinking about how Hermione and Alice's date was going. My lips curved into a smile thinking about it.

For a while I just sat there, thinking and daydreaming, until Jacob snorted and rolled to his side. His arm swung off the back of the couch and pinned me against his body.

Holy crap he was heavy! And hot- in the temperature sense, not the attractiveness one! It was sweltering after just a few seconds.

I tried, frantically, to slide out from under his arm without waking him, but I had to shove a little bit, and when his arm fell off me, his eyes snapped open. He jumped to his feet, looking around me, anxiously.

"What? What?" He demanded, disorientated.

"Um, it's just me, Jake. Sorry I woke you." I smile at him, a touch chagrinned. He turned to look at me, blinking and confused. It was actually kind of adorable.

"Bella?"

"Hey sleepy." I teased him.

"Oh man! Did I fall asleep? I'm sorry! How long was I out?"

"A few Emerils. I lost count." I shrug. He flopped back on the couch next to me, causing the springs to groan.

"Wow, sorry about that. Really." I patted his hair, trying to smooth the wild disarray.

"Don't feel bad. I'm glad you got some sleep." I assure him. He yawned and stretched.

"God, I'm useless these days. No wonder dad's always gone. I'm so boring."

"You're fine." I assured him, with a small grin.

"Ugh, let's go outside.. I need to walk around or I'll pass out again."

"Jake, go back to sleep. I'm good." I assure him.

"No!" Jacob insisted, grabbing my hand. "You hardly ever make it down- I can't believe I wasted all this time!" He pulled me off the couch as he spoke and then led the way outside, ducking his head as he passed under the doorframe. It had gotten much cooler while Jacob slept; the air was unseasonably cold- there must be a storm on the way.

The wintry air seemed to make Jacob more alert. He paced back and forth in front of the house for a minute, dragging me along with him.

"I'm an idiot!" He muttered to himself.

"What's the matter, Jake? So you fell asleep." I shrugged.

"I wanted to talk to you. God, I can't believe this." He sighed. I rolled my eyes at him, not getting the big deal.

"Talk to me now." I suggested, and Jacob met my eyes for a second, and then looked away quickly towards the trees. It almost looked like he was blushing, but it was hard to tell with his dark skin. I frowned, puzzled.

"Look," Jacob said, "I was planning to do this a little bit differently." He laughed, and it sounded like he was laughing at himself. "Smoother." He added, "I was going to work up to it, but… I'm out of time." He laughed again, nervously.

"What are you talking about?" I demanded. He took a deep breath.

"I want to tell you something. And I think you already know it… but I want to say it out loud. Just so there's never any confusion on the subject." This was doing nothing to help me understand what he was talking about, and I looked up into his eyes, opening my mouth to ask him to just spit it out, when he interrupted me. "I'm in love with you Bella," he said, in a strong, sure voice. "Bella, I love you. And I want you to pick me instead of him."

I stared at him for a long minute, speechless. I could not think of one thing to say, I was just reeling. As he watched my dumbfounded expression, some of the seriousness left Jacob's face. "Okay," he said, "that's all."

"Jake-" it felt like there was something big sticking in my throat. I tried to clear the obstruction. Oh my god, I couldn't believe Hermione was right! I was never going to hear the end of this! And Jake… oh god, Jake… "I can't- I mean, I don't… I have to go."

I turned to leave and he grabbed my shoulders and spun me around. "No wait!" He pleaded.

"Jacob," I began, looking at him seriously, trying to make him understand, "I love him, Jacob. He's my whole life."

"You love me too." He reminded me. He held up his hand when I started to protest. "Not the same way, I know. But he's not your whole life, either. Not anymore. Maybe he was once, but he left. And now he's just going to have to deal with the consequence of that choice- me." I shook my head, wildly.

"No, Jake! You're… god, you're impossible!" Suddenly he was serious again and he took my chin in his hand, holding it firmly so that I could look away from his intent gaze.

"Until your heart stops beating, Bella," he said, "I'll be here- fighting. Don't forget that you have options."

"I don't want options!" I told him, trying to yank my chin free, unsuccessfully. "And my heartbeats are numbered, Jacob! The time is almost gone." His eyes narrowed at that.

"All the more reason to fight- fight harder now, while I can." He whispered. He still had my chin and I saw the resolve form abruptly in his eyes.

"N-" I started to object (loudly) but it was too late. His lips crushed against mine, and I tried shoving him away, but escape was impossible. His mouth was soft, his lips molding to mine in a warm, unfamiliar way.

I tried to pull away, but he was too strong, so instead I just let my hands drop to my sides and shut down. I opened my eyes and didn't fight, didn't feel… just waited for him to stop. It worked. He pulled back to look at me, then pressed his lips softly to mine again, once, twice… a third time. I pretended I was a statue and waited.

Finally, he let go of my face and leaned away. "Are you done now?" I asked in an expressionless voice.

"Yes." I sighed. He started to smile, closing his eyes. I pulled my arm back and then let it snap forward, punching him in the mouth with as much power I could force out of my body. There was a loud crunching noise.

"Ow! OW!" I screamed, frantically hopping up and down in agony, while I clutched my hand to my chest. It was broken, I knew it. Jacob stared at me in shock.

"Are you alright?"

"No, damnit! You broke my hand!"

"Bella, you broke your hand. Now stop dancing around and let me look at it."

"Don't touch it!" I screeched, "I'm going home- NOW!"

"I'll drive you." Jacob suggested, and I shot him a withering gaze.

"I don't think so." I growled, marching over to my truck and throwing the door open with my good hand. It was a struggle fitting the key into the ignition and turning the engine on with only one hand, but I managed it, and was about to floor the accelerator when Jacob just popped open the passenger and slid into place, even doing up the seat belt. I gaped at him.

"Are you freaking kidding me?" I asked him, my voice shrill.

"I gotta make sure you get back in one piece." He grinned, lounging back against the seat.

"Didn't I hurt you at all?" I demand, after waiting a few seconds, debating whether or not to kick up a fuss, then deciding that Edward would kick his ass for me.

"Are you kidding? If you hadn't started screaming, I might not have figured out you were trying to punch me." He snorted.

"I hate you, Jacob Black." I growled.

"Good, hate is a passionate emotion."

"I'll give you passionate," I muttered, under my breath, coaxing the Chevy to its maximum speed possible, "murder- the ultimate crime of passion."

He just laughed, which was more irritating then anything he could have said.

The rest of the drive past in silence. When I pulled up outside the house I basically jumped out of the car while the engine was still running, pulling my phone out of my pocket with my good hand and dialing Edward's number as I stormed into the house.

I walked past the front room where Charlie was still lounging on the sofa. "Hey kids," he greeted us, not noticing my hand at first, "nice to see you here, Jake."

"Hey Charlie." Jacob answered, casually, pausing. I stalked into the kitchen, holding the phone to my ear, waiting impatiently for Edward to pick up- what was taking him so damn long?

"What's wrong with her?" Charlie wondered.

"She thinks she broke her hand." I heard Jacob tell him.

"How did she do that?" As my father, I thought Charlie ought to sound a bit less amused and a bit more concerned. Jacob laughed.

"She hit me." Charlie laughed too- traitor.

"Why did she hit you?"

"Because I kissed her." Jake said, smugly.

"Good for you, kid." Charlie congratulated him. I ground my teeth and Edward finally picked up the phone.

"Bella?" He asked. He sounded more then relieved- he sounded delighted. I could hear the Volvo's engine in the background; he was already in the car, good.

"I need Carlisle to look at my hand," I grumble, as a way of greeting, "I think it's broken." It had gone quiet in the front room and I wondered if Jacob would bolt. I smiled a grim smile, imagining his discomfort.

"What happened?" Edward demanded, flatly.

"I punched Jacob." I admitted.

"Good," he answered, bleakly, "though I'm sorry you're hurt."

"I wish I'd hurt him." I sighed in frustration, "I didn't do any damage at all!"

"I can fix that." He offered.

"I was hoping you'd say that." There was a slight pause.

"That doesn't sound like you," he said, wary now, "What did he do?"

"He kissed me!" I growled. On the other end of the line there was silence, the only sound that of an engine accelerating.

"Is the dog there?" Edward finally spoke again.

"Yes."

"I'm around the corner." He said, darkly, and the line disconnected.

I walked on to open the door and Edward was waiting. "Let me see." He murmured. He examined my hand gently, so carefully that it caused me no pain at all. His hands were nice and cold, almost as good as ice. "I think you're right about the break," he said, "I'm proud of you. You must have put some force behind this."

"As much as I have," I sighed, "not enough, apparently." He kissed my hand, softly.

"I'll take care of it." He promised. "Now let's go have Carlisle check out your hand." I nodded and walked beside Edward out to the car, sliding into my seat. It was then Jake decided to make a reemergence, and I stiffened, along with Edward in the driver's seat. "Let's go!" I urged him, not wanting to watch the males bump chests… well, not until my hand was hurting less anyway. Edward responded to me by flooring the engine.

Without giving anything away to Charlie, Jacob had no choice but to watch us disappear off down the road, and I let out a sigh of relief. "Have you heard from Alice how her date with 'Mione's going?" I asked.

"I heard they were going to the movies, that's it," Edward said, before looking at me in concern. "Are you alright, Bella?" I sighed, heavily, looking down at my injured hand, cradling against my chest with my good one.

"No," I admit, "I didn't… I didn't realize he felt like that, and now I'm just angry and upset and I feel bad, like I was leading him on, but I didn't realize, and I'm so angry at him!" Edward gently rubs my neck, in a soothing pattern.

"You didn't lead him on, Bella," He assures me, in his velvety voice. I lean into his hand, sighing.

"God, I hope Hermione's Friday night is going better then mine." I mutter.


	23. Chapter Twenty-One: Hermione's POV

**CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE:**

**Hermione's POV:**

I arrived home from my date with Alice at nearly midnight. It felt exhilarating and scary, being in a relationship again, and this one had significant promise of being long term.

After Alice agreed to be my girlfriend, we snogged for nearly twenty minutes straight and then ended up walking and talking for over an hour, with the occasional smooching (okay, it was more then occasional).

After kissing Alice good bye in her Porsche, I crept into the house and made my way up to my bedroom, only to get the fright of my life as a scowling Bella almost walked straight into me, on her way to the bathroom. "Bells?" I asked, puzzled, and then my eyes widened in alarm as I caught sight of her hand in a brace. "Oh my god! What happened?" I gasped.

Bella gave a soft squeal, her expression melting from annoyed to excited. She threw her arms around me, a grin on her face. "Oh my god! How was your date?" She gushes. I smile as my cheeks go pink.

"Um, she kind of told me that she mated on me, and then I asked her to be my girlfriend and she said yes." I told her, and she let out a much louder squeal.

"That's awesome!" she gushes, and I narrow my eyes at her, a thought striking me.

"You knew she mated on me, didn't you?" I demand, and she looks sheepish.

"Maybe." She offers, and I scowl at her.

"Some twin you are." I grumble, before pointing to her hand. "You never answered my question, by the way- what happened?" Bella sighed, looking down at her hand.

"I broke my hand punching Jacob." She said, her eyes flashing with anger.

"What did he do?" I wince, gently grabbing her by the elbow and tugging her into the bathroom. She follows; not remarking as I turn on the light then shut and lock the door behind us.

"He told me he loved me, that he wanted me to pick him, not Edward, and then he kissed me." She explains. I raise an eyebrow.

"And which part of that was supposed to surprise me?" I ask, dryly, pulling out my wand and placing it beside the sink, before carefully undoing the brace and sliding it off Bella's swollen hand. She bites back a hiss of pain, and glares at me.

"I didn't realize he's in love me." She exclaimed, tears suddenly springing into her eyes. "Oh god, 'Mi, I feel awful!" She sobs. I hug her, gently, being careful not to knock her now exposed broken hand.

"Shh, it's alright. We'll fix this." I promise her, "it's not your fault, Bells." After a few minutes she stops crying and pulls back, sniffing and wiping her eyes with her sleeve. I pick up my wand. "Rest your hand on the sink." I tell her, and she gives me a cautious look.

"What are you going to do?" She asks. I roll my eyes at her.

"Fix it, idiot. You'll still have to wear the brace so the vamps don't realize, but I'm sure you'd rather not to be walking around with a broken hand." I tell her, dryly. She blushes, slightly.

"Right," she says, doing as I say, before frowning at me. "Why haven't you told Alice what you are? I mean, now that you're together it's okay, right?" I hesitate, not sure how to explain to Bella how I feel. In the end I settle for the bare minimum.

"I'm not ready yet, Bella." I tell her, softly. She gives me an uncertain look, but nods, accepting my decision. I point my wand at her hand and mutter, "_episkey_!" Bella lets out a sharp sound of pain and her hand makes a cracking sound as the bones knit back together.

"Ow!" she gasps, "dammit, that hurt!" I roll my eyes at her, slipping my wand up my sleep.

"Abracadabra, you're all better." I tell her. Her eyes widen somewhat as she tentatively moves her fingers.

"God, that's insane!" She whispers, shaking her head in amazement. I smile at her.

"You're welcome, now put back on the brace. I'm off to bed." She smiles at me, looking happier then before.

"See you in the morning, 'Mi." She tells me.

"Goodnight Bella." I reply.

Harry's already fast asleep in my bed, and I cross over to my wardrobe to change into my pajamas, before snuggling under the covers next to him.

My mind is racing, thinking about all that's happened, and I don't know what to say, what to think. I just know one thing- I don't want to tell anyone I'm a witch.

Being a witch has caused me to lose so much… my fear might be irrational, but I can't help worrying that it might make me lose Alice too. I just want to be normal. I want to be the one who needs protecting, for once, not the one who has to protect. Alice makes me feel special, happy. I haven't felt this happy in so long.

A mewing alerts me to the fact that Widdershins, whose spent the last few days refusing to leave Charlie's side- he's become quite fond of my bio-dad, is wanting to come inside the room. I quickly get up, open the bedroom door to let him in, then jump back under the doona covers. Widders waltzes across the floor, in the smug way only a cat can manage, before jumping up next to me on the pillow and purring, deeply.

"Hey buddy." I murmur, stroking his soft fur. He allows the petting for a few minutes before pointedly flicking his tail at me, demanding I stop. I do, rolling my eyes at the kitten. "Who's the pet, really, huh?" I coo at him, and he blinks at me slowly. "Yep, you." I say, rolling my eyes.

Saturday passes slowly, with Bella doing a terrible job of playing 'my hand is still broken'. Saturday night, we all pile up in Charlie's cruiser and drive over to the reservation, for dinner at the Clearwaters'.

I'm excited to see Leah, but hesitant about whether or not to mention I'm dating a vampire- I'm not exactly sure how she'll take it.

Bella is happy to greet Seth, awkwardly keeping her distance from Leah. "It's real nice of you to invite us over tonight, Sue." Charlie greets the older woman, with a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Actually, it was Leah's idea." Sue smiles, before ushering us all in. Leah rolls her eyes at her mum. She's looking beautiful, tonight, dressed in soft green with her dark hair in a twist at the base of her neck. While Sue leads Charlie into the den, Leah and Seth direct Bella and I into what I'm assuming is Leah's bedroom.

It was nice bedroom, but not what I expected from Leah. The walls were a hunter green color, the carpet was just as dark, with the furniture made from a dark, carved wood. There was a bookshelf on one side of the room, a desk in the corner, a wardrobe, a chest of drawers and a double bed in the middle. The floor had dresses, sports bras and shorts lying everywhere and there was a pile of shredded clothes in the corner. Her walls were plastered with posters of different bands, including Avenged Sevenfold, Linkin Park, Craving Lucy and Dropkick Murphys. She certainly had an interesting taste in music.

Seth sat down on top of the desk, while Leah sat on the bed and I sat beside her. After a moments hesitation, Bella joined us on the bed, looking a touch awkward. She still wasn't completely comfortable with Leah's presence.

Leah breaks the silence. "Seth told me Jacob broke the news to you and you broke your hand punching him." She says, in a voice that's far too amused. I have to hold back my own smile, and Bella blushes bright red.

"Leah!" Seth squeaks, blushing too.

"What? I thought it was pretty funny." Leah snorts, "I wish I could have seen it."

"Well I wish I could un-see it." Seth pouts, "I wish you'd tell me how you made that mind barrier thing so I could use it too!" I stiffen slightly, but Leah just winks at Seth.

"Meditation, dear brother of mine, it's called meditation."

"It's soooo not." He grumbles, and Bella looks equal parts mortified by the knowledge the whole Pack saw what transgressed between her and Jacob, and intrigued by Leah's 'mental barrier'. She gives me a stern look, and I widen my eyes in pretend innocence that she sees right through. We're going to talk about this later, her eyes promise.

"So how's your week been?" Bella asks Seth, politely. Seth yawns.

"Busy. Not much sleeping." He answers.

"Sam's been running us ragged." Leah adds, with a twist of her lips.

"Well, I started dating a vampire." I decide now is a good time to break the news. Seth chokes on his own saliva while Leah just grins.

"I knew it!" She says, smugly. Bella looks shocked at how easily Leah is taking the news, and Seth does to, judging by the way his jaw drops open. "I knew I could smell leech on you. Which one is it?"

"Alice." I admit, with a smile.

"While I can't say that I approve of you dating a… leech, I'm happy for you." She tells me, and the sincerity in her tone is touching. Seth has just caught up.

"Wait, you're gay?" he asks, surprised. Leah rolls her eyes at her brother and I smile at the blushing boy.

"Yep." I tell him.

"I'm completely fine with that!" He rushes to assure me, cheeks flaring bright red, "just kinda surprised, is all!" I laugh, lightly.

"Seth, it's fine, don't worry." I tell him.

"DINNER!" Sue yells from the dining room.

"You guys go, I want to ask Leah something." I tell Bella and Seth, and they both nod and leave, Bella thoughtfully shutting the door behind them. I turn to Leah. "Are you really okay with the whole me dating a vampire thing, because you took that really well." I tell her. She gives me a small smile.

"I'm not happy about it, but I'm okay with it. I'm telling you, you've saved my life with this Occlumency thing," she says, her voice pitched soft so that Seth can't hear, "Sam tried alpha-ordering me to tell him how I did it, but your shields are _really_ strong! I could easily lie."

"I'm glad things are easier for you." I tell her, with a relieved smile. She shrugs.

"It's still hard," she admits, "but every day that passes it gets easier, if only a little."

"Heartbreak takes a long time to get over." I nod, reaching out and softly squeezing her hand, "but you'll find someone, one day, I promise you." Leah gives me a smile that's more sad then happy.

"I'm glad you think so, Hermione. Maybe one day I'll think so too." She murmurs, before we go out to eat the delicious smelling meal Sue cooked up.

On Sunday, Alice lounges across my bed, watching as I complete my essay for English. She actually lets out an exaggerated sigh of relief when I finish, and I shoot a mock-glare at her. "You said you just had a little bit of work to do." She pouts, "I want to spend time with my girlfriend!"

"I'm finished now." I laugh, putting down my pen and jumping onto the bed next to her. She lets out a playful growl and jumps on top of me, knocking me down onto my back and straddling me.

"No more school work!" she orders, before bending down and kissing me. Her deliciously icy hands run down the length of my arms, before she gently grasps my wrists and pulls them above my head, locking them in place with an iron-clad grip. I moan into her mouth and my hips grind against hers. She pulls back and gives me a naughty smirk.

"Tease." I grumble, even as I squirm underneath her. She giggles and lowers her head so that her lips are trailing along my neck.

"You're so beautiful." She whispers, her tongue tracing an icy path. I basically mewl as she transfers her iron grip around my wrists to one hand, and trails her free hand down the side of my body, until her fingers are playing with the hem of my jeans. I arch my back and moan as she grinds herself against my throbbing heat and her hand creeps under my top, her fingers trailing delectably across my stomach. My breathing quickens and my body squirms in anticipation as her fingers trail higher and higher, until the sound of the front door interrupts us.

Alice quickly rolls off me, pulling her hand back and releasing my wrists. I blush, heavily, as I hear Bella's voice, and realize that Edward's with her, which is why Alice stopped. Her brother being able to read her mind while we're being intimate is not something either of us fancies.

"So, got any plans for today _besides_ studying?" Alice asks. I smile at her, even as I adjust my shirt.

"Actually, today I was going to buy a car." I tell her.

"Oh my god! What sort? I know a really great dealer!" She says, enthusiastically.

"Actually, I was going to a second hand place we passed in Port Olympia the other day." I explain. Her face falls slightly.

"You don't have to, I can, you know, help pay?" She offers, and I immediately shake my head.

"It's not that I can't afford a new car, I'd just rather not stick out too much." I admit to her. "Besides, you can buy some really nice second hand cars these days, not like that atrocity Bella has." I raise my voice as I finish my sentence, as I hear Bella and Edward making their way past, up to her bedroom.

Bella sticks her head in the room and scowls. "I heard that." She grumbles. I raise an eyebrow.

"What? It is an atrocity. It should be torn into a million pieces and each one of those million pieces should be doused in gasoline and burnt beyond recognition." I inform her. She gives me the finger with her 'good' hand.

"You're mean." She grumbles.

"That's what sisters are for." I tell her, smugly.

"Hey, you guys want to go to Port Olympia today?" Alice pipes up. "Hermione wants to get herself a car so she doesn't have to be driven around everywhere in Bella's wreck."

"Stop picking on my truck!" Bella exclaims, loudly, a playful scowl on her face, "it's a loyal car! And it has… personality!"

"And it could break down any day now." Edward decides to chip in, with a crooked grin on his face.

In the end, Edward agrees to drive Alice and I into Port Olympia, and he and Bella are going off to the movies while we go car shopping. We'll be driving back in my new car.

The drive up there is filled with Edward's music- really old classical stuff. Bella seems to enjoy it, but I end up stealing her iPod and Alice and I share headphones and listen to better stuff- I've had enough of the old fashioned music, it's basically all they have in the Wizarding World.

The used car sale yard isn't that big, and there's a really small selection of cars available. Alice has a pretty good knowledge of car mechanics, thanks to Rosalie she tells me, and helps tell me which cars will actually run nicely and last for a while, and which ones will break down in a few days.

I pick out a plain navy blue sedan, a non-descript sort of car that nobody will give a second glance. I'm hoping Arthur can apparate over to Forks one weekend and give it a few 'adjustments'- the Muggleborn part of me is enthralled by the idea of a flying car, I have no shame in admitting. Harry swears he's never going near another flying vehicle again after his experiences with Arthur's Ford Anglia and Sirius' old motorbike.

"Are you sure?" Alice asks, doubtfully, staring at the car I've picked out. "I mean, it's nice I guess, but it's…"

"Boring?" I supply, with a small grin.

"Yeah." She nods, looking a tad sheepish. "I mean, it's like really boring! Really, really boring!" I laugh at her earnest face.

"Maybe I can paint it." I allow, and she immediately nods.

"Definitely! I'm thinking maybe green," she begins, and she goes on, deciding on which shade in a mostly one-sided conversation, while I take care of buying and registering the car.

On our way back to Forks, Alice gives me a cheeky smile. "We should christen this car." She says, a gleam in her eyes. I lick my lips, pulling the car up on the side of the road. Because the miniscule population, there's next to no traffic heading along this stretch of road that leads from Port Olympia to Forks.

"Yes, we definitely should." I agree with the beautiful vampire in the seat beside me as I kill the engine.


	24. Chapter Twenty-Two: Bella's POV

**CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE:**

**Bella's POV:**

I haven't seen Jacob since he professed his love to me a week ago, and I broke my hand punching him in the face. Hermione, thank god, fixed my hand with a handy piece of magic, but I still have to wear the brace Carlisle gave me so the Cullens don't realize it's fixed.

Hermione and Alice are now officially dating, and yesterday Alice sprung on me that we're apparently going to have a graduation party, after finals, which are in only a few weeks- something Hermione's acutely aware of: in fact, it's turned her into a mad woman.

When I turned to Harry out of concern, he just assured me that it was totally normal behavior for her, and that she'd be fine once finals were over. I seriously don't get it- she's already graduated from high school! This is just supposed to be a bit of fun for her! A way to unwind, experience life outside the Wizarding World! Apparently, Hermione doesn't understand my logic, and she nearly bit my head off when I tried speaking to her about it and gave me a humongous lecture about the importance of the high school finals.

Since then, I've officially decided her panic is contagious- because now I'm starting to freak out.

It feels like time is rushing by and I have this massive pile of studying to do that I'm terrified I won't even get halfway through in the few weeks I have left before finals. I seriously curse the fact that even though it turns her into a crazy lady, Hermione gets the studying genes.

When I come down for breakfast, Monday morning, Charlie was already gone and Hermione was sitting at the table, eating a bowl of cereal, her nose buried in the newspaper. Hearing movement, she jerked her head up, and I was surprised to see her face was pale. "What's the matter?" I asked her, surprised, and she shoved the paper in front of me. I frowned as I caught sight of the thick black headline, of the front-page story.

**Seattle Terrorized By Slayings**

_It's been less then a decade since the city of Seattle was the hunting ground for the most prolific serial killer in U.S. history. Gary Ridgway, the Green River Killer, was convicted of the murders of 48 women._

_And now a beleaguered Seattle must face the possibility that it could be harboring an even more horrifying monster at this very moment._

_The police are not calling the recent rash of homicides and disappearances the work of a serial killer- not yet, at least. They are reluctant to believe so much carnage could be the work of one individual. This killer- in, in fact, it is one person- would then be responsible for 39 linked homicides and disappearances within the last three months alone! In comparison, Ridgway's 48-count murder spree was scattered over a 21-year period!_

_The selection appears random. The motive seems to be killing for no other reason than to kill._

As I scanned through the horrifying article detailing bodies so badly mutilated, only dental records could be used to identify them, the sick feeling in my stomach grew and grew. It actually took me three tries to read the last sentence, and I realized the problem was my shaking hands.

_Only one conclusion is indisputable: something hideous is stalking Seattle._

Yes, something hideous was. And only Hermione, myself, the Cullens and other vampires know exactly what.

"Bella?" I was so focused, Edward's touch made me jolt. I hadn't even realized he'd walked into the house. Hermione scowled at him over her coffee, and an apologetic expression crossed his face. "I'm sorry, did I startle you?" he asked. In answer, I hold up the newspaper.

"Have you seen this?" I ask, in a soft, pained voice. A frown creased his forehead.

"I haven't seen today's news yet, but I knew it was getting worse. We're going to have to do something... quickly." He said.

"No shit." Hermione snorted, before getting to her feet and storming into the kitchen to refill her cup. Edward shot her a look I couldn't decipher, before turning to me.

"Did you have a strong desire to attend class today?" He asked.

"I think we can live without school for the day." I say, ignoring Hermione's indignant.

"WHAT? IT'S ALMOST FINALS!"

"What are we doing?" I ask.

"We're going to have a chat with Jasper and Bree." Edward said, simply.

"And we can't do this, I don't know, over the phone? Or after class?" Hermione loudly demands, walking over so she's face to face with Edward. I grab her hand.

"C'mon 'Mione, it's one day!" I coax her. She shoots us both a truly spectacular glare, before nodding shortly.

"Let's go now, then." She basically orders, "if we get this over quick enough, we might get to school in time for the last few classes." I resist the urge to roll my eyes at her, until she's turned her back. Edward tries not to smile.

We went in Hermione's new car, at her insistence, so that she could drive to school afterwards. When we got to the house, we found Carlisle, Bree and Jasper watching the news intently. As we walked in, Emmett ambled through the kitchen door, seeming perfectly at ease. Nothing ever bothered Emmett, I thought, amused.

"Why Hermione Granger-Swan ditching?" He mock-gasped, "And here was me thinking I'd seen everything!" Hermione shoots him a dark scowl, and Alice blurs into the room, and wraps her arms around Hermione.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure we catch up." The small vampire promises Hermione. Hermione relaxes, somewhat, and kisses Alice, gently, on the lips. Alice tangles her fingers in Hermione's hair, deepening the kiss. Neither of them seem to mind the audience. Emmett wolf-whistles, and Edward rolls his eyes and tosses the paper to Carlisle.

"Did you see they're considering a serial killer now?" He asked. Carlisle sighed in response.

"They've had to specialists debating that possibility on CNN all morning."

"We can't let this go on." Edward says.

"Let's go now!" Emmett says, with sudden enthusiasm, "I'm dead bored!" A loud hiss echoed down the stairway from upstairs. "She's such a pessimist." Emmett muttered, as Hermione struggled to hide her smile. Rosalie appeared at the top of the stairs and descended slowly, her face smooth and expressionless.

"We'll have to go sometime." Edward said, in a heavy voice. Carlisle shook his head.

"I'm concerned. We've never involved ourselves in this kind of thing before. It's not our business. We aren't the Volturi." Hermione visibly stiffens at this, and her fierce glare is turned on Carlisle. I wince for him.

"Whether or not you are the Volturi, it's not fair for all those innocent humans in Seattle," she just about snarls, her voice as cold as ice, "and I'm assuming you don't want the Volturi coming down here with Bella still human." She adds. Edward basically cringes at this, opens his mouth to say something, then turns his head sharply in Jasper's direction.

"Oh!" He exclaims, voice sharp, shocked. "I didn't think of that. You're right. You're definitely right. This changes everything." I wasn't the only one looking at him in confusion, but I think I was the only one who didn't look annoyed. "I think you better explain to the others." Edward told Jasper.

Alice frowned from where she still was wrapped around Hermione. "What is he rambling about, Jasper?" She demanded, "What are you thinking?" Jasper didn't appear to enjoy the spotlight, and Bree flitted over to his side, threading her fingers through his.

His gaze moved from Bree's, slowly around the circle, before meeting mine. "I don't think Edward has ever told you about my past or Bree's past." He says, in a soft voice. I try not to squirm uncomfortably.

"Um, no." I admit. He smiles, softly.

"I'm not surprised. It's not the nicest part of vampire history. Quite the opposite, in fact." Across the room, I note Hermione's eyes sharpen on Jasper, and I can basically see the gears moving in her brain. I think back over the vampire books she gave me, trying to figure out what Jasper might be talking about.

Bree helps answer this for me, walking over to one of the lamps, rolling up her sleeve, and holding her wrist up close to the light of the naked bulb, tracing her finger across a raised crescent mark on her pale skin.

It took me a minute to understand why the shape looked strangely familiar. "Oh!" I breathed as realization hit. "Bree, you have a scar exactly like mine." I held out my hand, the silvery crescent more prominent against my cream skin, than against her alabaster. Bree smiled faintly, turning to her husband, her mate.

Jasper spoke up, quietly. "We have a lot of scars like yours, Bella." He said, and his face was unreadable as he pushed the sleeve of his thin sweater up his arm, with Bree mirroring his movements. At first my eyes could not make sense of the texture that was layered thickly across their skin. Curved half moons crisscrossed in a feathery pattern that were basically impossible to make out on Jasper, and just visible on Bree, under the bright glow of the lamp.

I looked at my own solitary scar- and remembered how I'd received it. I stared at the shape of James' teeth, embossed forever on my skin. And then I looked up at Jasper and Bree, my eyes wide. "Guys... what happened to you?" I breathed out, horrified.

"The same thing that happened to you," Jasper answered, his voice quiet, calm, "repeated a thousand times. Our venom is the only thing that leaves a scar."

"How?" I breathed in horror, feeling rude, but unable to stop staring at Bree's subtly ravaged skin.

"We didn't have quite the same upbringing as our adopted siblings." Jasper said, with a wiry smile at his mate. Bree's face darkened slightly, and her face set.

"No, we did not. Our beginning's were something else entirely." She said, through clenched teeth. Hermione's left hand strayed into her pocket, and I realized that she was subtly holding her wand, ready if something went wrong.

Jasper spoke up, starting the story. Bree looked like she couldn't, the memory too painful to talk about. "There are places in this world that are more desirable to us than others. Places where we can feed more, and still avoid detection," he explains, his voice acquiring the same sort of lecture-tone as Hermione's often does when she's explaining something about the Magical world to me, "the North is very civilized. Mostly we are nomads here who enjoy the day as well as the night, who allow humans to interact with us unsuspectingly." He sighs, heavily.

"It's a different world in the south. The immortals only come out at night. They spend the day plotting the next move, or anticipating their enemy's. Because it has been war in the south, constant war for centuries, with never one moment of truce, the covens there barely note the existence of humans, except as soldiers might notice a herd of cows by the wayside- food for the taking. They only hide from the notice of the herd because of the Volturi."

"Over the centuries different tactics were thought up for fighting for control of the desired land, some more successful then others. The person who thought up the most successful tactic of all was a young vampire named Benito. He created an army of newborn vampires. He was the first to think of it, and, in the beginning, he was unstoppable. Very young vampires are volatile, wild and almost impossible to control. One newborn can be reasoned with, but ten, fifteen together are a nightmare. They'll turn on each other as easily as on the enemy you point them at. Benito had to keep making more as they fought amongst themselves, and as the covens he decimated took more then half his force down before they lost. Newborns are dangerous, but they are possible to defeat if you know what you are doing. To put it simply, they have enormous strength, but they aren't skilled fighters."

"When I was human, I lived in Houston, Texas." He continued, quietly. "I was almost seventeen years old when I joined the Confederate Army in 1861. I lied to the recruiters and told them I was twenty. I was tall enough to get away with it. My career in the army was short lived but very promising- I'd already been promoted to major, making me the youngest major in Texas, and that's not including my fake age. The day I was changed, I was just nineteen. After evacuating women and children from a battle site, I was riding back to Galveston, when I ran into three female vampires, whose names I learnt were Maria, Lucy and Nettie. They'd recently lost their respective territories to other covens, and were planning on building an army to win back their territories. Maria recognized from my suit that I was in the military and changed me into a vampire in hopes of utilizing my training and experience to create an efficient army.

When I was first Turned there were six of us, later more were added. We were all male- Maria wanted soldiers. I was always quicker then the others, better at combat. Maria was pleased with me, and rewarded me more often, which made me stronger. She was a good judge of character, and decided to put me in charge of the others. It suited my nature exactly. The casualties went down dramatically and our numbers swelled to hover around twenty." He paused here. "I won't go into great detail, but the other newborns and I helped Maria reclaim her territory and later claimed dominance over others. Nettie and Lucy gained territories of their own, but when they, at one point, tried to rebel against Maria, they were killed." Here, he sighed again.

"Like you already know, Bella, Hermione, when I became a vampire, I gained the ability to feel and manipulate people's emotions. What you didn't know, was that it was very useful in controlling the younger newborns. The great strength of newborns begins to wane around the year mark, making them useless to Maria. She made me was responsible for disposing of them, something I felt a great deal of remorse about- thanks to my Gift, I could feel their pain when I killed them... just as much as I could feel the pain of all the humans I fed on." I had to suppress the urge to shudder, at this point, and tried to school my emotions so Jasper couldn't feel how horrified I was.

"Overtime, the pain and cruelty of such existence depressed me to no end. Decades later, I ended up befriending a newborn named Peter, whom I managed to persuade Maria to keep past his first few years, claiming it was because of his advanced combat skills, but really more for his kindred spirit. Peter was... civilized, in a way. He didn't enjoy the fight, though he was good at it. It was during the purge time, when I learnt about Charlotte. She was a newborn who I was supposed to kill, but instead he yelled at her to run, and he ran after her. I could have pursued them, but I didn't. I felt... lifted, I suppose, by the love Peter and Charlotte felt for each other. They had mated, you see, and kept it a secret as Maria didn't allow for mated pairs in her army.

Five years later, Peter snuck back for me. He told me about his new life with Charlotte, told me about options I'd never dreamed I had. In five years they'd never had a fight, though they'd met many others in the north. Others who could co-exist without the constant mayhem. In one conversation, he had me convinced. And I returned with him to where he had been staying with Charlotte and his other coven member- a young female named Bree." Jasper's features soften into a warm smile. "When I first saw Bree, I knew exactly who she was- my mate."

I stared at Jasper, somewhat flabbergast by his story. Edward wrapped his arm around me, a silent pillar of support, and Bree spoke up next.

"My story is similar to Jasper's," Bree began, "I was born as Bree Tanner in 1919 in Arkansas and was Turned by a vampire named Enrique in 1936, a little after my seventeenth birthday. I fought in several battles as a newborn of the Arkansas coven. Enrique was cruel, as was his mate Bonnie and the other newborns." Bree shuddered, and Jasper wrapped an arm around her. I felt sick, thinking about what cruelty she could be talking about, while Hermione's face looked oddly set, her eyes momentarily flickering down to her hidden left forearm. Hermione didn't have to imagine, I realized, an icy feeling forming in my stomach. Unlike me, she knew the exactly the sort of horrors Bree had faced.

"I was nearing the end of my first year," Bree continued her story, "I was sick of all the fighting, and I was terrified. I knew the pattern, all of us did- after a year, unless you were considered 'useful' you were taken away and never seen again. I wasn't useful. I was just a slip of a girl, with no Gift. I was fast, but not good at fighting- I think Enrique and Bonnie were amazed I'd lasted that long." Bree sighs. "To them I was always just canon fodder."

"It was during a battle that I ran off. Like I said, I was fast and everyone was too busy fighting in the battle to try catching me, anyway. Peter and his mate found me, several weeks later, and helped me. I learnt how to live without carnage. Over a year later, Peter asked Charlotte and I if we could go back to Texas, so he could go talk to his friend Jasper." Bree laughs, now, her face brighter. "I wasn't too pleased about this- I'd heard stories about the Major in my time in the newborn army- we all had. He was considered the thing nightmares are made of and I was convinced he would tear us all apart. But Peter left for a few days to go tell Jasper about how vampires could co-exist up in the North, and Jasper came back with him. And the second we laid eyes on each other, we knew that we were mates." I felt a bit lighter, hearing this, seeing the happiness well up in Bree's eyes. She deserved a happy ending, I thought, fiercely.

Jasper picked up the story where Bree left off, overcome with emotion. "Despite having found my mate, and having left the South Wars, I was still depressed. Every time I fed, I felt the emotions of my victim, and my mood went on a downhill spiral. Eventually, Bree and I left Peter and Charlotte, wandering around on our own for a while. And then in 1948, we went into a diner in Philadelphia, where we first met Alice." Alice beams, as her part in the story is brought up. Jasper and Bree smile warmly at her.

"At first, we were puzzled by this vampire with bizarre eyes and odd, familiar behavior around us," Jasper says, elbowing Alice gently, "but nevertheless, her joyful emotions helped me greatly, which in turn helped Bree. As it turned out, Alice had been waiting for us for quite some time. She took us outside and told us about her visions, the ability to survive off animal blood, and of a coven in the Olympic who did so. Bree and I were skeptical, but her strange golden eyes provided proof that what she was saying just might be real, so for the next two years we searched, with the aid of Alice's visions, for this mysterious coven, and eventually joined them in 1950. I changed my surname of Whitlock to my adopted sister Rosalie's surname of 'Hale', so I could pose as her twin due to our physical similarities, and Alice and Bree did the same, both adopting the surname Cullen, as Carlisle's nieces."

It takes me a few moments to realize why Jasper and Bree have revealed their histories, and when I do, when I manage to put the puzzle pieces together, my breath gets caught in my throat.

_There's a vampire army in Seattle._


	25. Chapter Twenty-Three: Hermione's POV

**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE:**

**Hermione's POV:**

I saw Bella's face pale as she realized where Jasper and Bree's stories had been going. I was pretty sure my own face was a similar shade. "An army," Bree said, her eyes locking with Jasper's, "why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought I was interpreting the signs incorrectly." Jasper answered, "Because where is the motive? Why would someone create an army in Seattle? There is no history there, no vendetta. It makes no sense from a conquest standpoint, either, no one claims it. Nomads pass through, but there's no one to fight for it. No one to defend it from. But I've seen this before, and there's no other explanation. There is an army of newborn vampires in Seattle. Fewer then twenty, I'd guess. They are completely untrained, whoever made them just set them loose. It will only get worse."

A realization struck me, and I was surprised none of the others had thought of it yet. What threat was there in or near Seattle… except for the Cullens? I was about to speak up, voice my idea, when the others started speaking again, so I bit my tongue, waiting to see if someone else would come to the same conclusion as I had.

"What can we do?" Carlisle asked the others, looking distressed.

"If we want to avoid the Volturi's involvement, we will have to detroy the newborns and we will have to do it very soon." Bree spoke up, her face hard. Knowing her story, along with Jasper's, I knew how much this evaluation must disturb her.

"We can teach you how," Jasper murmured, "It won't be easy in the city. The young ones aren't concerned about secrecy, but we will have to be. It will limit us in ways that they are not. Maybe we can lure them out."

I watched them deliberate, amazed that no one had voiced it yet. "Um guys," I said, directing all attention to me, "I don't think you'll have to lure the newborns here." Eight sets of golden eyes turned to face me, as well as a set of chocolate brown ones, identical to my own.

"What do you mean?" Edward frowned.

"I mean, hasn't it occurred to any of you that the only possible threat in this area that could possibly call for the creation of a newborn army is this coven?" I explain, gently but firmly. Jasper and Bree narrowed their eyes in deliberation, while Carlisle's and Esme's widened in surprise and shock.

"Tanya's family is also near," Esme said, her voice trembling, unwilling to accept my words.

"The newborns aren't ravaging Anchorage, Esme," Jasper told his adoptive 'mother' gently. "I think… I think Hermione is right. I think we have to consider the idea that we are the targets."

"They're not coming after us!" Alice insisted, and then she froze. "Or… they don't know they are. Not yet."

"Indecision." I whispered, turning to face my girlfriend. Her face was shocked, as she reached the same conclusion as I had.

"Someone who knows I can't see anything until the decision is made. Someone who is hiding from me, playing with the holes in my visions." She explained to the others, distressed. I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her towards me. She rested her head against my chest, snuggling into the embrace.

"Who would know how to do that?" Esme asked, distressed. Edward turned to her, eyes hard as ice.

"Aro. He knows Alice as well as she knows herself." Aro… a member of the Volturi. I did an essay on the Volturi in History of Magic. Aro is one of the three founding parties, a 2000 year old vampire with a 'Gift' where with a single touch he can _know_ someone's mind- every memory, every thought they ever had. And Aro had read Alice.

"That's why they haven't come yet," Rosalie spoke up, for the first time, "Someone in the South, someone who already had trouble with the rules. Someone who should have been destroyed and offered a second chance."

"No," Jasper disagreed, "this is too sloppy. This… person, this threat- they have no idea what they're doing. A first-timer, I'd swear to it. The Volturi… they're not involved, not yet anyway. But they will be."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Emmett almost roared, "let's go!" The vampires all exchanged looks, worry clear on their perfect faces.

"We…. We will need you to teach us, Jasper, Bree," Carlisle spoke up, finally, the pain in his eyes clearing expressing how much he hated this idea.

My legs were getting tired from standing up for so long, and I moved over the couch, Alice moving with me. Time seemed to speed by as Carlisle rang the Denalis asking for help, but was then denied because the Alaskan coven wanted to destroy the wolves because it turned out Laurent had been one of their coven member's mates.

"This isn't good," Jasper said, his face creased with worry, as he looked around the room. I agreed with him. I knew War, I knew battles, I knew strategy. It was a too even fight. The Cullens might have the upper hand in skill, but not numbers.

There was me, I could help, but not much. One or two vampires at a time I could face, but they were quicker then me, stronger. My wards would only hold them in place for so long, and I could only destroy them so quickly. And with the fight, chances were I'd hit one of the Cullens instead.

We'd most likely win the fight, but at what price?

Bella's face was white as snow as she looked around the room at the faces of the vampires she loved, and I'd grown rather fond of over time. Not all of us would survive this.

Which ones of us would die?

Basically the second Bella and I had driven far enough from the Cullen mansion, away from the vampires so we wouldn't be heard, she turned to me, her face frantic. "You need to tell them!" She all but screamed at me, "you can help! You can use your magic to help!

"Bells, I swear to Merlin I will tell them," I tell her, "I will help fight. But Bells… my magic is good for one on one, maybe two on one, with a vampire. But an army? I'm not sure how useful I can really be."

Tears welled up in her eyes and began splashing down her cheeks. "You… you can get your friends to come help us!" Bella begged me, desperately. I was already shaking my head.

"I can't ask for their help, Bella," I tell her, my voice cracking slightly. "It wouldn't be fair of me. Harry will help, and maybe Ginny, but… I can't ask them to risk their lives again, not after they've already sacrificed so much. They're just beginning to heal… Bells, not everyone in the Wizarding world likes vampires. I'm not saying the Order is prejudiced, but I'm not sure how many of them would be willing to risk their lives for a vampire."

"It's not fair!" Bella wailed, breaking down into hysterical sobbing. I crawled out of my seat, over into hers, and pulled her onto my lap, hugging her, letting her tears soak into my shirt. "It's just not fair! Why can't everyone just leave us alone!" she demanded, mid sob.

"I don't know, Bella, I don't know." I whispered.

Why did life have to be so goddamned complicated?

"We're still going to the wedding?" Bella asked, her face shocked, a few hours later, "but the first training session is tonight! We… we were going to go watch! You were going to tell everyone that you're a witch!"

I sighed, running a hand through my hair as I looked over at my distressed twin. "Bella, it's one night. The army isn't coming yet, and if they are then a single phone call and we're back, ready to fight."

Bella huffed, crossing her arms. "I don't want to go!" She whined. I rolled my eyes.

"You already promised." I reminded her, and she groaned, flopping back on her seat. "We're apparating tonight, so make sure you tell Edward that we're going to England, otherwise he'll probably go nuts trying to figure out where you are."

I'd only remembered Percy and Audrey's Friday afternoon wedding at the last minute, which was very unlike me, but I'd been wrapped up in the whole 'oh my god I'm dating a vampire and I'm her soul mate' thing.

I could hear Bella on the phone reassuring Edward that everything was going to be okay, blah, blah, blah, and I wondered if I should ring Alice. It would probably be the right thing to do, I decided, after all… we were dating now.

I summoned the cell phone she gave me, from wherever it was, ignoring Bella's slightly bug-eyed look as she watched it soar across the room into my hand. I'd put Alice on speed dial #3 and I held down the digit and waited for her to answer.

"Hi 'Mione!" She chirped up, excitedly, "what's up?"

"Hey Ally," I can't help but smile hearing her voice, "I know this is a really last minute notification, but Bella and I have to cancel attending tonight's training session. I completely forgot about my friend's wedding in all the drama and stuff that's been going on, but we need to head out tonight to catch the plane if we're going to get there in time."

"Oh, okay then." Alice says, her voice tinged with disappointment.

"When we get back, I'll ring you. I've got a surprise for you." I tell her, wanting to cheer her up. I was pretty sure I knew what she was disappointed about- me not inviting her to be my date to the wedding. "I'm sorry I couldn't invite you as my plus one," I tell her, softly, "but it's a small family wedding, and I'd already asked Bella to come with me."

"That's okay," Alice reassures me, her voice brightening a touch, reassured, "I want photos. And I'm looking forward to my surprise." I can basically hear her grinning over the phone.

"Bye Al." I laugh.

"Bye 'Mi."

I help Bella dress in the dress robes we bought at Diagon Alley. She seems a bit weirded out by them, and keeps staring at herself in the mirror. She looks beautiful, though, her chestnut hair pulled into a loose chignon and the pale blue dress robes draped over her curves.

I wore the same dress-robes I'd worn to Bill and Fleur's wedding, slinky red with short butterfly sleeves. My wild curls, with the aid of sleekeazy and magic, were tightly braided, with the braid coiled and pinned at the base of my neck.

"This is just bizarre." Bella said, for the thousandth time.

"I agree." I told her, checking my own reflection to make sure I didn't have any lipstick on my teeth. "Are you ready to go?" It was nearly nine o'clock pm here, which meant with the time difference, we would be arriving at around one in the afternoon in England, just in time for the wedding at half past.

Bella gulped slightly, obviously not pleased with the idea of side-along apparation. "I'm gonna be sick." She sighed. I made a face, and cast a quick repelling charm on her robes and mine to make sure if she did hurl, none of it would land on our dresses.

I hold her hand tightly and spin. We arrive in the Weasley's back garden, and I'm hit with a strong sense of déjà vu. I'd only ever seen the Burrow this tidy once before, with all the rusty cauldrons and boots gone and replaced by flutterby bushes, the chickens were shut away, and the garden fully pruned and degnomed, and that was for Fleur and Bill's wedding.

Harry, dressed in bottle-green robes that looked incredibly similar to the ones he'd worn to the Yule Ball, hurried over to greet us. "Hey guys!"

"Hey Harry," I greeted him, "how's Molly?" Harry rolls his eyes.

"Someone should have put a full body-bind on her. She's freaking out." He says, and I laugh, softly. Bella keeps gasping, wide-eyed, as Harry escorts us towards the giant white marquee where the wedding's been held. The entrance to the marquee revealed rows and rows of fragile golden chairs set on either side of a long purple carpet. The supporting poles were entwined with white and gold flowers.

"This is unbelievable!" Bella whispered, as we were directed to our seats. I chatted with Harry about his Healer training while Bella kind of gaped at everything, until the guests quietened and the music started.

Percy was looking surprisingly handsome at the end of the aisle, and next to him George was looking thin but presentable, and more alive then I'd seen him in months.

Ginny looked stunning as a bridesmaid, dressed in silver, and holding a bouquet of red roses as she walked down the aisle, followed by a woman I didn't recognize, and then Audrey. Audrey looked radiant, dressed in white silk, her face glowing. A pang of sadness hit me as I realized she had no one to escort her down the aisle and give her away, and I had to blink away tears.

The vows started, and the guests all watched entranced as the wizard presiding over the ceremony declared them bonded for life. He then waved his wand and a shower of stars surrounded the couple.

After the vows the chairs all vanished and a dance floor was formed. Bella sidled over to me, as couples spun around the floor, and champagne bottles floated through the crowd.

"What was with the whole bonded for life thing?" she whispered.

"Magical weddings are quite different from muggle weddings," I explain to her, "it's a very permanent ceremony, a promise of forever. When the couple says I do, then the 'minister' for want of a better word casts the binding spell, and the couple is literally bond in magic, mind and soul."

I read all about Wizarding marriage ceremonies before Bill and Fleur's wedding, and was very surprised by the permanency of the ceremony.

"What about arranged marriages?" Bella frowns, "Aren't there a lot of them in the pureblood circles?"

"They use a different type of binding ritual," I explain to her, "it's more about tying the couple together to insure loyalty and service, then love."

"So, does the bride and groom have to be magical?" Bella asks, and I shake my head.

"Only one of them has to be a witch or wizard, the other can be a veela, a muggle, a squib," I shrug, "you get my drift." Bella suddenly shoots me a cheeky smile.

"Or a vampire." She adds, and my cheeks go bright red and my mind immediately turns to Alice, and I can't help but picture her in a white dress. She'd look beautiful.

"They're about to cut the cake!" Harry says, appearing, "Bella definitely doesn't want to miss this!" He then pauses as he takes in my bright red cheeks, and an evil looking smirk crossed his face. "Oh dear, what happened?"

"Nothing." I snap, grabbing Bella's hand and tugging her over to where everyone is gathered. The wedding cake was simple, yet elegant, a three tiered cake topped with two model phoenixes, as was custom. As Percy and Audrey cut the cake together Bella gasped as the two phoenixes took flight.

"Oh my god!" She whispered, watching them wide-eyed, as they flew up into the sky. "That's just… wow!"

I think I'm cursed never to be able to stay till the end of a wedding, because as Harry walked over to find Ginny and grab some cake and Bella went to investigate some of the stranger looking appetizers, my magic started buzzing, wildly, warning me that someone had set off the wards I'd placed weeks ago- there was a vampire trying to get into our house!

I instantly made my way over to Bella and closed my fingers around her arm like a vice and began dragging her away from the festivities. "Hey! What are you... Hermione, what is it?" she asked, eyes wide.

"There's a vampire trying to get into our house." I tell her, and her voice goes white.

"Charlie!" She gasps, and I pull out my wand and, holding Bella tightly, apparate back to Forks. The trip is nauseating, and Bella collapses, vomiting, as we arrive, but I manage to stay on my feet, sprinting towards the front door.

A growling vampire was crouched there, his blood red eyes regarding me and the house he couldn't get into with a mixture of confusion, apprehension and anger. Like all vampires, he was one of the hottest boy I'd ever seen, tall and blond and perfect in every feature. He lunged at me at the same time as I shouted, "_Incacerous_!"

Thick ropes, of shining light, flew out of the end of my wand, wrapping around the vampire's limbs, binding them tightly to his sides. He fell from midair, his body hitting the ground with a dull booming noise.

He thrashed around, trying to use his enormous strength to free himself, but the magical restraints kept him bound in place. I swept my gaze around, making sure that nobody had seen anything- thankfully, the street was blissfully clear.

"You bitch!" The vampire screamed at me, and I glared at him and intoned,

"_Silencio_." effectively gagging him.

Bella peeked out the front door, her eyes wide in shock and fear. "Ch-Charlie's at work, I rang the station and checked... he's doing the nightshift. Can... can he get free?" she asked, her voice nervous.

"No," I assured her, as I levitated the vampire into the air, and into the house. The wards tingled as he passed through, making me shiver. Bella was staring at Riley with something akin to a horrified fascination.

"So this is a newborn." She said, her voice a touch on the breathless side.

"Actually, I'd say he's nearly a year old," I correct her, lowering Riley onto the ground and examining his eyes. "A newborn's irises are a shocking red, his are more diluted." Bella shudders, wrapping her arms around herself.

"What... what are you going to do with him?" She asked, in a soft voice.

"We need to ask him some questions." I tell her, somewhat reluctantly. I cast a few silencing charms around so that nobody will hear his screams. What I'm about to do already sickens me, but I need answers.

I lift the silencing charm, and the vampire immediately starts screaming obscenities at me. "Shut up!" I yell, over his screams. When he doesn't listen, I point at the floor beside him and shout, "_incendio_!" Brilliant flames explode beside him, and the vampire screams in true fear. I let him squirm for a few seconds, his terrified eyes fixed on the flames, before letting them die out. "I've got some questions, and I want you to answer them truthfully." I say, in the coldest, iciest voice I can muster.

The vampire bares his teeth at me, but doesn't say anything. "Well, that's a start," I say, dryly, "now let's go with the easy question first- what's your name?"

"Riley." Spits the vampire. "Riley Biers."

"Okay, Riley Biers, what were you doing here?" I ask. He snarls at me, but doesn't say anything, and I sigh. "You made me do this." I tell him. "_Crucio_!" Riley's screams are ear-splitting, and he thrashes wildly in his constraints. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Bella cringing, and backing into the corner of the room. I wonder what she's more scared of- the vampire, or the cold monster I've become.

I lift the curse, and Riley moans and curls up on the ground. "Let's try again," I tell him, coldly, "what were you doing here?"

"I was told to get some clothes with her scent on them." Riley croaked, twitching his head in Bella's direction.

"Why?" I asked. He hesitated, but I raised my wand and he cringed away, and began blabbering.

"Because sh-she wanted something for the newborns to track!" he gasps, "please! Please don't hurt me!" he begs.

"Who is 'she'?" I demand, even as my stomach sinks. I can tell from Bella's sharp inhale, she has a pretty good idea who this 'she' is too.

"Her name is V-Victoria!" Riley wails. Bella lets out a sharp cry, and tears begin streaming down her face as she slumps down.

"Oh god!" she sobs, "oh god!"

"What is the purpose of the army?" I demand Riley, and he shudders.

"To destroy the yellow-eyes!" He wails, "please let me go!" I sigh and run a hand through my once-neat hair, which is now in a state of somewhat disarray.

"How many newborns?" I ask, wearily.

"Sixteen, maybe seventeen!" Riley pleads, "they keep killing each other, so we keep having to replace them!"

"Okay. And where are they been kept?"

"We keep moving them around, I'm not sure right now," he answers, still cringing on the floor. "Can you... can you let me go now? Please? I swear I won't tell anyone!"

"No, I can't Riley. I'm sorry." I tell him, feeling my heart sink.

"No! NOO!" He screams as I point my wand at him.

"_Bombarda_! _Incendio_!" I intone, and the vampire explodes into thousands of pieces before me, and those pieces catch on fire. Thick, violet smoke fills the living room, and Bella makes a choking noise, beating a hasty retreat from the room. I wait until Riley is reverted to nothing but ashes, making sure that the fire stays concentrated on the vampire, not spreading through the room. Once the flames flicker out, a few minutes later, I collect the ashes in a jar, scourgify the floor and vanish the thick, heavy incense like smell in the room.

Pocketing the jar of ashes, I begin looking for Bella. I find her up in her room, curled up on her bed, a steady stream of tears rolling down her cheeks. I sigh and sit next to her, threading my fingers through hers. "I'm sorry you had to see that." I told her, my voice heavy with regret. She sniffs, and shakes her head.

"I'm not upset about that, 'Mi. You did what you had to. I'm upset because so many lives have been ruined and it's all my fault! And now there's a newborn army after me, endangering everyone I love!"

I run my free hand through her hair, trying to make my movements soothing, and methodical. "It's not your fault, Bella, it's James' fault and Victoria's fault." I tell her, sternly. "I won't let anyone get hurt, Bella, I swear to god!" I promise, and she sniffs, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

"Shall we go back to the wedding?" She asks, in a voice still thick with tears. I shake my head.

"Why don't we just stay here. Ring Edward once you've calmed down a bit. Ask for him to come over, tell him our flight was delayed and we didn't end up going to the wedding, because we would have ended up missing it. With the time difference, that should work. And maybe tell him that some of your shirts are missing. He'll be able to smell Riley outside, and from there you can let slip your idea that maybe Victoria is the creator of the newborn army."

"I thought... I thought you were going to tell them what you are?" Bella said, softly, "so you can help defeat the newborns." I sigh, looking down at our entwined hands, and shaking my head.

"I will but it's not... it's not the right time." I tell her.

"When will it be, 'Mione? When will it suddenly be the right time?" She demands, gently.

"Bella, just... just drop it." I tell her, my chest panging in an uncomfortable way. I pull our hands apart and stand up. "I'll be in my room." I tell her, my face carefully wiped clean of emotion.

I stride out of her room, and into my own, barely resisting the urge to slam my door, instead managing to close it gently. The wave of emotion that I've managed to keep tightly under control rises free, and I have time to cast a quick silencing charm, before dissolving into a mess of tears on the floor.

I'm a monster.

I tortured something.

I killed something.

I'm a monster.

_Just like Them._

Sure, I can justify what I did, easily so. I didn't have a choice- I needed to find the answers to keep my sister, my bio-dad, my girlfriend and her family safe. I had to do it!

But it doesn't make it any easier to stomach. It doesn't make my heart hurt any less. It doesn't make the tears gushing down my cheeks slow or stop.

I'm not sure how long I remain huddled on the ground. I just remember crying and crying. The pain in my chest grew and grew, and memories filled my head, while Riley's screams echoed around my skull, mixing with my own.

I was a monster.

I was a monster.

I was a monster.


	26. Chapter Twenty-Four: Bella's POV

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR:**

**Bella's POV:**

"Okay Bella, you can do this." I muttered to myself, "lying to Edward… no big deal." Who the hell was I trying to kid? I was a terrible liar! To be perfectly honest, I was shocked that I'd managed to keep Hermione's secret so long!

I didn't get it, to be honest. Why was Hermione so determined to keep her secret? What was the point? With the, I shuddered at the thought of this, newborn army attack approaching, sooner or later she was going to have to reveal the truth. The longer she kept it from them, especially Alice, the more hurt they were going to be.

The sound of knocking tore me from my thoughts and I took a couple of deep breaths before walking over and opening the door with a smile. I'd rung him about five minutes ago, giving him the whole 'flight was cancelled story' and invited him to come over. "Hi Edward!" I greeted him. But before I could say anything else, though, Edward's golden eyes widened, his nostrils flared, and his lips pulled back over his teeth.

"Edward?" I tried to make my voice sound shocked. Jeez, I should win an Emmy or something for this, "what's wrong?"

"Someone's been here," he growled.

"What do you mean?" I asked, trying to move my expression into one of dread and fear, hoping I wasn't overdoing it.

"A vampire… not one of us." He explained, still growling.

"O-one of the Volturi?" I asked. Edward's face was troubled.

"Have you noticed anything out of place?" He asked, "anything missing?"

"Huh?" I asked, faking confusion, remembering what Riley said- he had come to collect something with my scent on it.

"Things that you'd worn… and touched… and slept on?"

"Yeah… why? I couldn't find my sweater, before. What's that got to do with a vampire breaking into my house? What is it Edward?" I asked, my voice rising and becoming somewhat hysterical. I was amazing.

"Your visitor… he was gathering traces of… evidence. To prove that he'd found you." Edward murmured. Okay, this was it. Time to sell the idea that the newborn army and Victoria were connected, in some kind of plausible way that sounded like I'd come up with it. I concentrated on my fear of Riley's revelation- it wasn't hard bringing that to the surface. I let my body stiffen in the very real terror that enveloped me.

"Oh god…" I whispered, "it's the same!"

"Bella? Bella what's the matter?" Edward sounded frantic, his hands on my shoulders, looking me in the eye. "Bella, speak to me!" He demanded, when I just stared at him, frozen, remembering Riley's words.

"Don't you see?" I whispered, "it's the same! This… this visitor who broke in and stole my things, and the army in Seattle! They're the same! The… the _thief_ managed to get around Alice's visions, probably by using the same holes as the person who created the newborn army! I mean, what are the odds that two different people not only know Alice well enough to do tat, but also decided to do it at the same time? No way! It's all connected- the thief… it was a test. A test to see if someone could get around her. Oh god! Edward- the vampire who is making the army either came for my scent themselves, or sent someone else!"

Edward's face was whiter then it's usual snowy color and his eyes were huge, wide with panic, dazed and horrified. I felt tears rolling down my cheeks. Because I wasn't acting anymore. This was real. I just had one more bombshell to drop.

"Edward…" My voice was softer then a whisper. "Do you think its Victoria?" A loud, animalistic snarl ripped through Edward's teeth, and his expression changed from shocked to furious. Startled, I stumbled backwards and almost fell, with Edward catching me at the last moment. His expression had changed, once again, this time to upset.

"Oh Bella, I'm so sorry, I'm so, so sorry." He whispered, burying his face in my hair. I let myself cling to him, let my tears soak into his shirt as I cried. He carried me over to the couch and sat down, with me on his lap, rocking me back and forth gently, humming my lullaby.

Someone coughed lightly from the kitchen entrance, and I looked up at Hermione through my veil of tears. She walked over, slowly, and sat down beside us, reaching out and threading her fingers through mine.

Her face looked stiff, gaunt. Her eyes looked red and swollen. She looked sick with misery, regret and remorse. I remembered her expression as she cast the torture curse on Riley. Her face had been an emotionless mask. Even her eyes looked blank. It wasn't until afterward that she had slipped slightly, giving me a glimpse of the self-hatred she was feeling. If Edward was curious about why she looked miserable, he didn't say anything, and I was glad.

I wasn't sure what I was expecting her to say, but she managed to surprise me. "We should ring the wolves." She said, her voice matter-of-fact. Edward's lips curled back ever so slightly over his teeth.

"Why?" He asked, obviously putting a great deal of effort into making his tone civil.

"Because they are better trackers then vampires." She answered him, just as calmly. I wondered how she knew that, and guessed it was from one of her conversations with Leah.

The two had grown closer, I'd noticed, forming a strong friendship. Maybe it was because of the fact Hermione didn't have to hide what she was from Leah, or maybe it was just because she liked the slightly older girl. They often chatted, both on the phone and in person. I'd been a little anxious at first and asked Hermione if there was anything 'romantic' going on. Hermione had laughed and assured me that Leah was straight, and that she was a one-woman type of girl.

Edward stared at Hermione for a few seconds, and she met his gaze, calmly, until he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "You're right." He admitted, glancing out the window. It was getting lighter, as night rolled into day.

"Can you ring Leah, 'Mione?" I asked, not all that keen on having Jacob over. I still hadn't forgiven the jerk for kissing me. Hermione's lips twitched slightly.

"Not Jacob?" She asked, in a falsely innocent voice. Edward growled, softly, while I grunted, and folded my arms across my chest.

"No. And tell Leah to make sure he stays away." Hermione smiled at me.

"You know, sooner or later you'll forgive him. Unlike me, you're not good at holding grudges." She teased me, before pulling the cell phone Alice bought her from her pocket.

She speed dialed Leah, and put the phone on speaker. "Hey 'Mi." Leah greeted her, picking up the phone on the third ring.

"Hey Lee, you're on speaker with Bells and her vamp." Hermione returned, and I could basically hear Edward's jaw grinding at her words.

"Oh?" Leah asked, surprised. "What's going on?"

"The house has had a… visitor. Of the blood-sucking variety." Hermione explained.

"I'm sure the house has a lot of them, seeing as you and your sister are both dating one." Leah said, equal parts amused and confused. Hermione rolled her eyes, even though Leah couldn't see it.

"Not a Cullen, Lee, a stranger. Probably one of the human drinking variety." She said. Leah's growl echoed down the line.

"What do you need me to do?" She asked, her voice grim.

"I need you guys to see if you can track the scent," Hermione said, "and I also need you to bring Sam and however many others you want to make him feel comfortable over here, because we have a slight situation we need to discuss."

"Hermione, what are you doing?" I asked her, surprised. Hermione didn't even acknowledge me.

"It's important, Leah. Lives are in danger." She said, her voice grim.

"We'll be there in twenty minutes, tops." Leah replied, before the phone disconnected. I instantly started speaking.

"Hermione, you aren't going to tell them about the army are you?" I demanded, my voice verging on hysterical. Hermione met my gaze, calmly.

"Yes, I am. We all know that while the Cullens have superior skill, the vampires have superior numbers. It's an even playing field. We'll win, but we won't all survive." I shudder as she says this, unnerved by her matter-of-fact tone. It really reminds me that she has fought in a War. She's a war heroine, in fact. A hardened soldier. "If we have the wolves as allies, we'll have both the numbers _and_ the skill. The chances of anyone dying are next to nothing." She explains.

Edward sighs beside me, his cool breath tickling the side of my face. "She's right." He admits, before standing up.

"Wait, what are you doing?" I ask. Edward smiles at me, gently.

"I can't be here at the same time as the wolves," he explains, softly, "and I need to go and bring the others up to speed, Jasper and Bree especially." I sigh and nod.

"Okay. I love you." I tell him. He bends over and kisses me, gently, sweetly.

"I love you too." He murmurs, before leaving, vanishing out the door. I slump back on the couch.

"How'd I do?" I ask Hermione, dully. She gently squeezes my hand.

"You were amazing." She assured me, voice heavy.

We sit there, side by side, for nearly ten minutes, not speaking a word. We don't need to. When someone knocks on the door, Hermione stands up, walks over and opens it. There are five wolves who file inside, one by one. Sam, Paul, Jared, Leah and…

Jacob.

He looks downright miserable, and my heart pangs slightly. I remember Hermione's words '_you know, sooner or later you'll forgive him. Unlike me, you're not good at holding grudges'_ and I realize she's right. I'm not good at holding grudges. I can see how sorry Jake is, how miserable, and I decide he's been punished enough.

I meet his eyes and pat the couch beside me, and a relieved smile crosses his face. He basically jogs over, and the couch creaks under his weight as he sits beside me. I can feel his body heat radiating onto me, and I can't help but smile as I inhale the scent that is just Jacob.

"I'm so sorry, Bella." He whispers, and I gently grab his hand and squeeze it, with my good one.

"I know. I forgive you. But don't ever try something like that again." I warn him. He sighs in relief and nods.

"You said you had a 'situation' we needed to discuss." Sam spoke up, in his deep voice. I couldn't help feeling slightly intimidated, but Hermione just looked back up at him, calmly, exuding an air of calmness and confidence. I suppose after all that she's faced, including a _real_ werewolf, an oversized wolf shifter doesn't scare her much.

"Yes. There are a group of vampires currently in Seattle. So far they are responsible for over 40 deaths that we know of, and I guarantee a lot more that we don't know about." Hermione explains, getting straight to the point. "These vampires are newborns, only months old, which means they are basically uncontrollable, but far stronger then older vampires. Older vampires have, over time, created a use for the strength of these newborn vampires- they use them as armies. The red-haired vampire Victoria, I'm sure you're all well acquainted with her, is responsible for the newborns in Seattle. She has created an army with the full intention of using it to kill Bella."

Silence. Beside me, Jacob is trembling in rage. Leah looks infuriated, Jared and Paul look like they're strangely enthusiastic about the idea of a fight, and Sam looks thoughtful.

"And how do you know they are coming here?" he asks.

"Amidst other things, today a vampire broke into our house and stole items with Bella's scent on them." Hermione says. Jacob and Leah both growl angrily at this, and I anxiously grab Jacob's hand.

"Calm down." I whisper, and he nods and takes a few deep breaths.

"How many?" This is Jared, a grin on his face.

"Approximately twenty. This number will change frequently, as the newborns will fight amongst themselves, killing each other, and Victoria will have to keep creating new ones." Hermione answers.

"Do you know when they are coming?" This time it's Paul, whose eyes are actually shining at the idea of ripping apart twenty vampires. I try not to shudder.

"No. Victoria is using her knowledge of how Alice's visions work so she can surprise the Cullens."

"I don't know about the others, but I'll fight." Jacob says, from beside me. Anxiety claws at my insides, and I want to scream 'No!' but I know that's me being selfish. I don't want him to get hurt, but this is the best chance we have for no one to get hurt.

"Me too." Leah says, quietly. "You also said something about tracking on the phone?" she then asks Hermione.

"Your species are much better at tracking scents then vampires," Hermione explains, "I was hoping you could try following the scent of the thief." Leah instantly nods, and turns around, walking back outside.

"Jared, go with her." Sam instructs, "if you come across this… army, do not try to engage. Return straight back to the Reservation." He adds, a clear warning in his tone.

Hermione gives Leah a grateful smile the older girl returns, before she and Jared leave the house, the door swinging shut behind them. She then turns to Jacob, who's still sitting beside me. "Jacob, Bella will text you the Cullens number. Give it to Sam." She says, before turning back to Sam. "Ring the Cullens and organize a meeting to discuss strategy and fighting techniques. Fighting newborns is very different from fighting a normal vampire, and as much as your pride screams otherwise, you need the instructions." She basically orders them.

Paul bristles a bit at this, but Sam just nods. "Good bye." He says, before turning and leaving, Paul following not far behind. Jacob doesn't move from his space beside me.

"I'll stay here with you until your leec- um, vampire gets back." He tells me. I smile at him.

"Thanks Jake." I say, softly.


	27. Chapter Twenty-Five: Hermione's POV

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE:**

**Hermione's POV:**

The wolves couldn't track Riley's scent, unfortunately. It was too degraded.

I think Bella found it surreal that the world kept spinning as Monday rolled around and it was finals week. The whole whirlwind of the weekend had disconnected her from the normal world, and I think Bella's starting to struggle with how in one part of her life, everyone thinks that the hardest thing she's facing are finals, while in the other half, her life is in danger because a crazy vampire wants her dead.

Certainly made finals more stressful, I admit, but I have to say, they were a lot less terrifying then the OWL's. There was no way my scores were going to be near the top. They would be average. I may be intelligent, but there was only so much I could do to catch up with the time I had. This took a lot of pressure off me.

The art practical was the hardest. I did a lot better with memorizing thousands of facts, then necessarily applying them, and in art especially there was less memorizing, more actual skill involved.

My final piece was of Bellatrix, standing in the middle of Hogwarts, her face lit up by the green light of the Killing Curse, streaming from her wand. Bodies were heaped up around her, and her face was twisted into the arrogant, gleeful smirk that haunted my nightmares.

It wasn't an A+ picture, probably nearing the C mark. But in a way I felt triumphant, as I applied the last few strokes. Alice's finished portrait was a masterpiece. Her entire family was drawn in, with so much detail that it looked more like a photograph. Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, Bree, Edward, Bella, herself… and me. My arm was wrapped around her waist, and hers around mine. I almost cried when I saw it.

Bella actually did cry in relief when the finals week was over. As a celebration, Jake invited her to bonfire night at La Push. Leah invited me too, but seeing as Charlie had the night shift at the station and Harry had bought a flat in London closer to St. Mungos and wasn't living here anymore, I decided that I'd invite Alice over so we could have the house to ourselves. Leah laughed when I told her this and advised me to use protection.

Bella took off on her motorcycle to go meet Jake, and I couldn't resist casting a few protective charms, much to her amusement. "Are you going tell Alice tonight?" she asked, as she revved the motor. I rolled my eyes.

"None of your business. Go away." I told her. She laughed, and drove off. Alice was coming over at around six, around an hour later, so I busied myself boiling myself up some pasta, packing away all the high school books, exam prep, etc. that was strewn around the house, and showering.

I took care to apply some make-up by hand, dry my hair and dress in a nice skirt and light green sweater, trying to look pretty but not like I was trying too hard. When Alice knocked on the door, there were butterflies in my stomach.

Bella had told me how Edward was throwing a big fuss about not wanting to have sex with her until she was Turned because he could hurt her, and I hoped Alice wasn't going to be the same.

"Hi Al." I greeted her, opening the door. She looked as ravishing as always, and she gave me a sweet smile.

"Hey 'Mi. I brought movies!" she beamed, holding up a huge stack of movies. I rolled my eyes, stepping aside so she could walk in.

"Did you rob the DVD store?" I ask, amused. She looks slightly sheepish.

"I'm not used to not knowing what someone's going to want to watch." She explains, tapping her head. "Usually I can just See, so I know what to bring."

"Well for future reference I like comedy, action and the occasional romance. No horror." I inform her. She acts quickly, spreading the DVD collection over the floor and sorting them into separate piles according to their genres.

"So which one do you want to watch?" She asks. I examine them, then point to Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.

"Definitely that one." I turn on the TV while Alice inserts the disk, then she curls up on the couch next to me as the movie starts. It's a good movie, but I'm only half concentrating on it- the rest of my concentration is focused on the young woman curled up next to me, her head resting against my shoulder, my arm wrapped around her waist.

As the end credits start rolling, I turn to face Alice and press my lips up against hers. She kisses me back, eagerly, and we make out for several minutes, before breaking away. Alice's eyes are black, and she's panting slightly, even though she has no need for air.

"You know, we have the house to ourselves." I murmur, my heart pounding in my chest. I'm scared that she's going to turn me away, that she's going to refuse. I think I love her, and I want to be with her. Including in a physical way.

Alice's breath hitches slightly, and her body freezes. For several long moments she remains indecisive, and then she speaks up, her voice little more then a whisper. "What if I hurt you?" her voice sounds tortured, her whole being shying away from the idea of inflicting any sort of damage on me. I reach out and gently clasp her icy hands in my warm ones.

"Alice," I tell her, looking straight into her eyes, "I trust you." A longer pause, and then Alice is lunging forwards, her lips basically attacking mine. I moan, leaning back on the couch, letting my hands slide under her top. "Bedroom!" I pant, and she actually lifts me up, blurring us into my bedroom.

She gently placed me on the bed, and I sat up, grabbing the front of her shirt to pull her into a deep, searing kiss, pulling her onto the bed, on top of me. As our lips met, our chests moved against each other in a way that sent tingles running through my body, straight to my groin.

I'd missed this; the closeness, the excitement, the pleasure. "You've never been with another woman, right?" I asked, remembering Alice's earlier statement about wanting her first time to be with her soul-mate, the person she's going to spend forever with.

If I do this, if we sleep together, I'm making a promise to her; I realize. If we have sex, I'm telling her I'll be with her forever. Am I ready for that type of commitment?

"No, I've never been with anyone before." Alice whispers, the insecurity clear on her face. "I don't know how this works." How can anyone as sweet and beautiful and kind and lovely as Alice ever be insecure? I wonder.

"Just relax. Let me show you how." I tell her, gently moving us, rolling us over so that I was on top. Straddling her hips, I trailed kisses along Alice's jaw, collarbone, neck and then gently slid off her shirt, then bra. Alice assisted, and then basically attacked the sweater I was wearing, tearing it and my bra off me in her haste.

I slid slowly down her body, leaving a trail of kisses and licks down Alice's chest, breasts, stomach, thighs, then slipping off her skirt, then panties. Alice gasped and arched her back as my breath tickled against her most private region.

"I love you." I told her, for the first time out loud, and then I slid my tongue inside her.

Alice let out little cries of pleasure and ecstasy, as she twitched and trembled as I tasted her, pleasured her, tried to make her feel as amazing as I felt every time she so much as looked at me with all that love shining in her golden eyes. She was my light during my darkness, her love of life leading me away from the hatred, anger and sadness I'd been trapped in since the War.

When Alice came, she arched her back in complete ecstasy and cried out my name. "I love you, I love you, I love you!" she almost chanted, as her trembling body came down from its high.

I crawled back up so I was next to her, and kissed her. I didn't realize I was crying until I tasted the salt. "Oh my god, did I hurt you?" Alice gasped, horrified, pulling back so she could examine me. I shook my head, a small sob escaping my throat.

"You didn't hurt me, Alice." I tell her, my voice cracking. "Quite the opposite." Understanding softened her now blazing golden eyes, and they flickered over to my left forearm. A single icy cold finger traced the scars etched into my skin. _MUDBLOOD_.

"I love you." She whispered. "I want to be with you forever. I know you have secrets, and I'll wait until you're ready, but I want you to know that nothing you say will ever drive me away from you. You are my other half." More tears, more emotion.

I cry freely into her shoulder, curling up beside her on my bed. She cradles me, singing gently, soothing me. Eventually, I fall asleep by her side.

An hour later an intense vibrating in my skull yanks me into awareness. Someone has breached my wards. Alice is already blurring across my bedroom, faster then my eyes can follow, throwing herself out my window.

The glass shatters everywhere, as her lithe body sails through the air, out of my eyesight. From the sound of crashing, I assume she landed on top of the intruder. I leap into action, pulling my wand out of the drawer of my bedside table, and rushing across the room, over to the window.

The glass crunches under my feet, and I cry out as it slices into the sensitive skin, drawing blood. Out the window I can see two white blurs, hear the snarling and growling. And then the vampires below freeze as the scent of my blood travels through the air, and two sets of eyes are suddenly trained on me.

One pair I knew as well as I knew my own, and the other were a bright, bright red, set in a face I didn't recognize.

The intruder was male, and turned within the last few months. His massive build reminded me of Emmett's, and my whole body was frozen at the sight of him holding my tiny pixie up in the air, one hand closed around her throat, looking ready to tear her head off her body.

"HERMIONE!" Alice screamed as the newborn's bloodlust took over him, overpowering every other thought, and the vampire dropped her and launched himself at me. I acted on pure instinct, whipping my wand in front of me.

The Fiendfyre appeared with a roaring, billowing noise, streaming out of the tip of my wand, mutating into the shapes of fiery monsters, such as snakes, dragons, eagles and chimaeras, forming a pack of fiery beasts with one target.

The vampire screamed and screamed as the Fiendfyre enveloped him, throwing him up in the air into their fanged mouths, incinerating him in seconds, leaving him as nothing but ash. I then acted quickly.

Fiendfyre is notoriously difficult to control. It's a bewitched flame, infused with dark magic, immensely powerful and possesses a sentience of its own, a continuous desire to burn anything and everything it can. There was a spell to summon the flames, and a spell to disperse them. Crabbe never paid attention in class long enough to learn it, but I had.

I jerked my wand up, aiming the flames at the sky, away from Alice and anything else flammable, shouting the counter curse, channeling all my strength, all my power into the spell. I knew what would happen if I failed- I'd lose control and the flames would devour the entire town.

The pack of fiery beasts roared their anger, fighting hard against me, and sweat streamed down my sides as I pushed all I had into the spell. There was a high pitched whining, and a fiery explosion as the Fiendfyre burned out. Ash rained down over the garden, covering everything in a fine coat of grey.

Panting in exhaustion, coated with sweat and ashes, I managed to lock eyes with Alice before I toppled to the ground, the sound of crunching glass, the sharp feel of skin splitting being the last things I registered before fading out of consciousness.

I woke up somewhere soft and cool. Something icy cold, yet soft as silk, was running down my arms in a repetitive, soothing motion. It took a great deal of effort for me to tear my eyes open, and I saw Alice looking down at me.

She looked positively terrified, though relief broke over her face as my eyes met hers. If she could cry, I was pretty sure she'd be bawling. "Hey Al." I managed to croak and she gave me a shaky smile.

"Hey 'Mione." She murmured back, her fingers brushing my hair out of my face. I tried to move, tried to sit up, but my body felt as heavy as lead.

"Where am I?" I gasped out, trying to remember what happened, where I was, how I ended up in this state. The last thing I remembered was going to sleep in Alice's arms after making love to her.

"In my room. I had to bring you over here so Carlisle could stitch you up." Alice explained, gently. "Your feet and back were sliced up by the glass." Her words brought it back to me, the wards going off, the sound of shattering glass as Alice sailed out the window, the sharp pain in my feet as I stood by the sill, the despair I felt at seeing Alice about to be torn apart by the attacking newborn, and the fire streaming from my wand as the scent of my blood drove the newborn to abandon Alice and attack me.

I sucked in a deep breath. Alice knew. Alice knew my secret. And maybe her whole family did. "Wh-what... wh-what do they kn-know?" I managed to croak. Alice leaned over me, so her cool lips were brushing against my ear.

"Nothing, love," she whispered, tenderly, "Your secret is safe. Now rest."

"Okay." I sigh, the tension melting out of me. "I love you." I think she might have said she loved me too, but I was already too far gone to really register it.

The next time I woke up, I felt much more rejuvenated, though the stiffness in my limbs told me I'd probably been out for a while. When a warm, calloused hand squeezed mine, I quickly realized why, and shame mingled with my understanding. "Hey Harry." I said, opening my eyes, and turning slightly so I was facing my best friend. Harry gave me a small smile, from where he was crouched beside the bed.

"You gave everyone quite the scare, you know." He told me. "They couldn't get you to wake up. They had you all hooked up to a heart monitor and everything. They were going to admit you into hospital when Bella managed to contact me." I made a face, even as my guilt thickened, and pushed myself into a sitting position. I was back in my own room, I realized, as I scanned my surroundings. Everything looked pretty much the same as I last remembered it, except the window was fixed.

"Good thing you got here when you did, then. There isn't much a muggle hospital can do for my... problem." I said. Harry ran a hand through his already messy hair.

"Yes, about that. Fiendfyre, Hermione? Really? On top of the other issue, you're bloody lucky Forks isn't in ashes! I thought you were supposed to be smart, for god's sake!" he basically growled, his eyes looking tired as they met mine. I felt myself cringe back into the pillows.

"I didn't mean to," I tell him, softly. "It truly was an accident. The vampire lunged at me and I just acted on instinct." Harry's face softened.

"I'm sorry, Hermione." He said, looking down at our hands, still interlocked. "I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions."

"I thought all this shit was supposed to be over with." I tell him, my voice cracking slightly. "I helped saved the world, why can't I get a break? Why are the people I love in danger again?"

"Love, huh?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow. A smile tugs at the corners of my mouth.

"I think I finally understand why Bella fell so head over heels so quickly with her vampire. None of the books I read can really give the mating justice. It feels like I've known Alice forever, like she's perfect for me. We just… mesh. We complete each other. I love her." Harry grins at me, and stands up.

"Well, I'm happy for you 'Mi." He says, "and I think there's a vampire waiting down in the living room, ready to yell at you."

"Alice is here?" I ask, my heart beating a little quicker. Harry nods and kisses my forehead.

"I need to go. I left Ginny halfway through our date to come save your arse. Now I have to go make up for it."

"Love you too." I tell him, rolling my eyes, and he disapparates with a loud crack. A few seconds later, there's a soft knock at the door. I take a deep breath. This is it. It's time to tell her…. Everything. "Come in Alice."

**A/N: I know another newborn coming to the house wasn't part of the book, but when Riley failed to return with Bella's scent (or at all) I thought it would make sense that Victoria send another person (vampire) to try. **


	28. Chapter Twenty-Six: Hermione

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX:**

**Hermione's POV:**

Alice walked in, slowly. Neither of us spoke and she kneeled beside my bed, in the space Harry had occupied just a few moments ago. Still silent, Alice dipped her hand into the handbag slung over her shoulder and pulled out the long, slender stick of wood I know so well.

She held it out on her palm, still silent, and I accepted my wand, gratefully, stashing it under my pillow, before reaching back to Alice and gently grasping her still outstretched hand.

My pixie looked unkempt, something shockingly unusual for her. Her normally carefully styled hair was hanging limp around her face, her eyes black with Thirst as if she hadn't fed for days, the circles under them a deeper purple then I'd ever seen, and her designer clothes were rumpled, as if she'd worn them for days. I spoke up first.

"Are you angry?" I ask her, softly. Alice sighs, and looks down at our clasped hands, our fingers entwined.

"I was a little," she admits, "but mostly because you scared me, so, so much. First you looked so terrifying, like some kind of terrible, beautiful goddess of War, but then you just collapsed and you were bleeding and cut up, which was my fault, and I couldn't get you to wake up. A couple of hours after Carlisle put in the stitches you woke up for a few minutes, but you didn't even remember what happened at first. And then you went to sleep and didn't wake up for four days. The longest four days of my life. And I promised whatever deity might be up there, watching over, that if I got you back, if you woke up again, I wouldn't waste even a second been angry at you. All I wanted was to be in your arms, to tell you I love you."

Tears were flowing down my cheeks as she spoke, as her words registered. She loved me. She still loved me. She wasn't angry. Icy lips pressed against mine, and I clung to Alice with a sort of desperation, pulling her to me, holding her close.

"I'm a witch," I tell her, as her lips slide over the vulnerable flesh of my throat. "I've known since I was eleven, and I was notified that I'd been accepted into a school for witchcraft and wizardry called-" A cold finger presses against my lips, silencing me.

"I made you a promise," Alice interrupts me, gently, "you don't have to tell me anything until you're ready. I'mjust_ so _glad you're okay." I take a deep breath and look her square in the eyes.

"Alice... I'm ready."

For nearly an hour we talk. I tell her about Hogwarts, about the different classes, the people… and then I tell her about Voldemort, about the War, only briefly touching on it, not going into any major detail, just telling her he was a very powerful wizard with very powerful followers. Alice picks up on my reluctance to talk about him, and doesn't press, for which I am glad.

When I finally finish, Alice shakes her head, still looking shocked. "I knew you were hiding something, but... I wasn't quite expecting your secret to be that." She admits and I nod, a short laugh escaping me. "So every time you use magic… does that happen? Do you pass out?" she asks and I shake my head, and look down at my hands. From here it should be easy, to tell her the truth. The ugly, ugly truth. I've hidden so much from her, I don't want to hide anything else. But I'm ashamed. Too ashamed to listen to the niggling voice inside me telling me that one day I'd have to tell Alice everything- the good and the bad.

But I can't, so I omit. I tell her the bare facts, hiding the true cause, and feeling like a bitch while doing it.

"In the Magical World there is Light magic and Dark magic." I explain to her, "Fiendfyre… it's Dark magic. Very Dark magic. I should never have used it, but I reacted instinctively. I was very lucky I managed to put out the flames," I admit, "they could have just as easily burned Forks to the ground." Alice stares at me, wide-eyed, then her gaze flits down to my forearm.

She reaches out, gently, and her finger traces the pearly scars. "What… what does Mudblood mean?" she asked, softly. I flinch at the word, coming from her mouth.

"It means dirty blood." My voice is bitter as I tell her this, "it's a derogatory term for Muggleborn witches and wizards. People with no magical blood in their family tree." Alice frowns.

"Is that a bad thing?" I give a short, harsh laugh.

"Many older Wizarding families place great emphasis on blood purity and reject association with Muggles and Muggle-borns, both of whom they consider greatly inferior to themselves."

"Why was it done to you?" Alice asks. I close my eyes again, not wanting to see her reaction to what I'm about to say next.

"I was tortured for information, and while I was been given a breather, my torturer decided it'd be fun to carve my 'station' into my arm." Alice freezes beside me, her entire body going stiff. It's a vampire's reaction to stress.

"Why were you tortured?" I open my eyes and look at my girlfriend through a veil of tears.

"Please… can I explain that part later? I just… I came here, to Forks, because I needed to get away from everything. I didn't tell you because I wanted a fresh start. I wanted you to get to know Hermione Granger-Swan the student, not the War heroine."

"War heroine?" Alice squeaks, before she visibly takes a few calming breaths. "Okay. Okay, I get it. We can… we can talk about it later." She says. I let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Alice." I tell her, and she bends over and kisses the scars along my forearm.

"You're beautiful, Hermione." She tells me, and I give her a shaky smile.

"Thank you, Alice."

"So, the witch is out of the bag." Bella states, with a huge grin as I walk into the living room with Alice hovering anxiously beside me.

"First, that was terrible Bella, second- she took it better then I expected." I say, before turning and smiling warmly at Alice. She smiles back and stands on her tip-toes to kiss my nose.

"I did, now sit down before you give me a heart attack. I'm expecting you to collapse any second." She informs me. I laugh, but sit down beside Bella, who's lounging back on the couch, absently watching the cooking channel.

"I'm fine now, Alice. Harry healed me." I tell her. Alice gives me a stern look.

"I don't care. Unless you want to drive me to an early grave, you're going to take it easy for the rest of the day."

"I'd listen to her- vampires are stubborn." Bella laughs. I shoot her a mock-glare.

"Et tu Brutus." I mutter, under my breath, which causes Alice to let out a delighted peal of laughter.

"So, tonight's the second training session with the wolves and the Cullens." Bella says, after giving us both a confused look. "Might be a good place for you to tell everyone what you are, 'Mione." I cringe slightly at the thought, then let out a sigh.

"I guess it is time." I agree.

"Are you sure you're okay to go tonight?" Alice frowns, "you _were_ in a coma for four days." She reminds me. I wrap an arm around her shoulders, and plant a kiss on her cheek.

"I'm fine, Ali. I promise." I tell her, seriously. She sighs, and slumps into my arms.

"Early grave." She confirms, with a nod.

Bella cooked dinner, and Charlie arrived home at around seven. The official story for my absence was an emergency in England, and after asking me if everything was okay, Charlie settled into his usual, easy routine of dinner, beer, game, then goodnight.

It was comforting, in a way, the normality. After dinner, Bella and I retired to her bedroom, where we both curled up on her bed and engaged in my favorite pastime- reading. Bella was going over for the billionth time her favorite book in the universe- Wuthering Heights, while I flipped through one of the thick tomes on vampire hunting that Harry had sent over.

When midnight rolled around, Edward and Alice came in through the window, both dressed casually in jeans and sweaters, but still managing to look like supermodels. Alice wrapped her arms around me and scooped me into her arms. "Nervous?" she whispered, as Edward jumped out the window with Bella.

"Yes." I admit, my hands brushing against the wand, stashed in my coat pocket. "People are probably going to freak out."

"Vampires, werewolves and witches- oh my!" Alice giggled. I rolled my eyes, and let her carry me out the window. We raced after Edward and Bella through the black, quiet forest, the wind rushing against our faces, tangling our hair in the wind. It was exhilarating, a little terrifying and I loved it.

When we reached the big, open field, the rest of the Cullens were already there, talking casually, all of them looking relaxed. Alice placed me back on my feet and laughed at me as I wobbled for a few seconds. I shot her a halfhearted glare, and she wrapped her arm around my waist, supporting me slightly as we walked over to join the others.

The wolves arrived around ten minutes later, ten pairs of eyes gleaming in the shadowy darkness. "Welcome again." Carlisle greeted them, and a large black wolf stepped forwards and dipped his head.

That's right, I remembered, while Bella and I had attended Percy and Audrey's wedding, the wolves and the Cullens had had their first meeting. With the whole stress of Riley, figuring out Victoria created the army and finals, I never got around to asking how it went. Seeing as how everyone was in one piece and they were meeting for a second time, I had to assume it went fairly well.

There was some slightly uncomfortable talking, with Edward being the wolves' mouthpiece, and then Bree and Jasper got ready to go at it, while the wolves watched. I decided now was as good a time as any, and stepped forwards, clearing my throat.

With their enhanced hearing, the sound drew the attention of everyone except Bella, whose attention was drawn by everyone turning towards me. "Hi everyone," I said, with a bright smile, "Bella thought that I should let you all know that I'm a witch. That's all."

I felt oddly smug as I watched the shocked expressions on the vampires' faces. Beside me, Alice let out a soft giggle. "Nice job, Hermione." She said, linking her arm in mine.

"Is there a better way?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"It's called easing them into it." She informed me. I opened my mouth to reply, but our banter was interrupted by Bree.

"What?" she asked, golden eyes wide. "You're joking, right?" I pulled my wand out of my pocket and swished it through the air, picturing Alice's smile, her laughter, the feel of her lips on mine.

"_Expecto patronum_!" I intoned, and a shimmering otter consisting of silver light burst out of the end of my wand, and danced around the clearing, throwing of shining light. Wide eyes tracked it's movements, as it swam through the air back to me, nuzzling my ankle before fading back to nothingness.

There was a long stretch of silence, which was broken by- surprise, surprise- Emmet. "That is SO cool!" He grinned.

I was instantly accosted by rapid fire questions, and I had to wave my wand in the air, letting it emit several sharp bangs, to get everyone to be quiet. "I know this is a surprise, but one at a time please." I said.

It was Edward who spoke up first. "How?" he asked.

"I was born with magic." I answered.

"Is that how people become witches?" This time it was Carlisle, leaning forwards and looking intrigued.

"Actually, no- that's rare. Most witches and wizards are born into families of other witches and wizards." I explain, "I'm what's known as a Muggleborn- someone born to a muggle family. Um, muggles are people who don't have magic." I quickly add, seeing the confused expressions on their faces.

"So… Bella's not a witch?" Edward again, his eyes now glued to his soul mate. Bella gives him a gentle smile, and answers for me.

"No, I'm not a witch. Neither are Charlie or Renee or anyone else in our family."

"Your coma, did that have anything to do with being a… witch?" Carlisle again, ever the doctor.

"Yes, it was the result of magical exhaustion." I explained, "Alice and I were attacked by a newborn," surprised looks from the Cullens at that revelation, "and I reacted on instinct and cast a spell that I shouldn't have. Magic can be taxing, the more powerful the spells, the more draining they are. The spell I used… I shouldn't have. It was dangerous and stupid."

"You destroyed a newborn?" This is Jasper, his eyes bright with interest and consideration, "you can do that?" I pointed my wand at a rock at the edge of the clearing.

"_Bombarda_!" I muttered, and the rock exploded into billions of pieces. More wide-eyed stares, both at me and at the rubble. I then pointed my wand in the air. "_Incendio_!" A stream of fire shot out of the tip of my wand, and I swirled it around before letting it vanish into smoke. "Yes, I can destroy vampires, but not groups of them." I explain, "that's why I didn't speak up when we found out about the army. I can take on one, maybe two, but any more then that I'm useless against. And with the speed of the battle, chances are I'd hit one of you instead."

"Hermione was the one who found out about Victoria." Bella spoke up, directing the gazes towards her. "She captured the vampire who was trying to invade our house and… questioned him. He told us about how Victoria was creating the army to destroy the Cullens, and how he had been sent to retrieve items with my scent." Bella turned to Edward, and placed a hand on his chest. "I'm sorry for lying, Edward, but… it wasn't my secret to tell." Edward nodded, looking unhappy but accepting.

"Is Harry a wizard?" This is Emmett again, and I nod.

"All my friends are. The school I went to in Scotland was for witches and wizards." I explain. "The Magical Community is very large and spread all over the world, and is run by Ministries. We have schools, prisons, governments… amongst other things, we supervise the different magical creatures on this earth. For example, the Volturi is carefully monitored by the Italian Ministry, although they have no idea we exist. That's the way it has to be. You can't tell anyone about this, about what I am or the world I live in, or you will be either imprisoned, killed or, most likely, your memories will be wiped."

There's a rather somber tone in the air now, but the Cullens and wolves all nod their acceptance. "Okay, so sharing time's over. I can answer more questions later, but right now you should probably get started with the practice." I remind them. Jasper nods, pulling himself together the quickest, and quickly instructing the others.

"Good job. I'm proud of you." Alice smiled, kissing my cheek, before joining the others. The fake fighting vampires were a blur of white, with the sound of snarls and growls ripping through the clearing.

Bella made her way over to me, and we sat together on the grass. After around ten minutes, we were joined by an enormous russet wolf and slightly smaller grey wolf. Edward and Alice both froze, and I rolled my eyes. Stupid prejudice, I thought, before reaching up and running a hand through Leah's thick fur. How would Alice react when she realized I'd ridden on Leah's back? I wondered, feeling slightly amused at the thought.

Leah settled down next to me, while Bella giggled and laughed as Jacob licked her face and she patted his fur. "Hopeless." I muttered, loud enough for them both to hear. Leah let out a barking laugh, as well as Emmett and Alice. Edward didn't look amused in the least.

An hour trickled by before the Cullens decided to wrap it up. Maybe it was because Bella looked like she was about to pass out. I was guessing so. The wolves slipped away, back into the shadows, all except Jacob, Leah and two others I guessed were Quil and Embry.

Edward walked over to Bella, and took her hand. "Ready to go?" he asked her, but before she could answer, he was looking at Jacob. "I've not quite figured out all the details yet," he said, answering a question Jacob hadn't said out loud. Jacob grumbled sullenly. "It's more complicated then that," Edward sighed, "don't concern yourself; I'll make sure it's safe."

I was getting annoyed, and debating the pros and cons of using Legilimency, when Bella spoke up, also looking annoyed. "What are you talking about?" she demanded.

"Just discussing strategy." Edward answered, carefully evasive. I narrowed my eyes at him, Bella doing the same. Jacob's head swiveled back and forth between Bella and Edward, before bolting off. Beside me, I had the feeling Leah was snickering.

"Wait!" Bella cried out, before turning to face Edward, a hurt expression on her face. "Why did he leave?" she asked. Edward looked annoyed.

"He's coming back. He wants to be able to talk for himself." He told her, in a slightly disgruntled voice. I leaned back against Leah, and Alice walked over, from where she had been talking to Jasper and Bree in a hushed voice. I caught the glare she gave Leah and rolled my eyes as she cautiously sat down on the forest ground beside me, being careful not to even brush up against the female shifter.

Jacob loped back into view, on two legs this time. "Okay , bloodsucker," he said, when he was a few feet away, evidently continuing the conversation the rest of us had missed. "What's so complicated about it?"

"I have to consider every possibility." Edward stated, unruffled. I had to admire him for that. "What if someone gets by you?" Jacob snorted at the idea, and I started to get an idea of what they were talking about.

"Are you talking about where you're going to stash Bella?" I speak up.

"Hey!" Bella exclaimed, looking annoyed. I rolled my eyes.

"Bella, I adore you, but I'm telling you right now- you won't even be _remotely_ near the fight. This isn't just a protecting thing either, you'll be no help and probably get Edward killed as he's trying to protect you." I tell her, sternly, before turning to face Jacob and Edward. "Do we have any idea when the fight's going to be?"

"I'm not sure, but soon. Sometime after graduation." Alice spoke up, looking frustrated. "I still can't get a clear picture." I nod.

"Okay, well here's what we'll do. A few hours before the fight, Bella will leave a false trail to the clearing then I'll disapparate her to England where she will wait with Fleur until the it's over." I inform them. "And incase Victoria decides to show up, we'll have another fake trail leading her straight into a trap."

"What trap?" asks Edward, "and what do you mean disapparate?"

"Disapparation is the process of magically transporting oneself to a different location." I tell him, "basically, it'll only take me a few seconds to drop Bella off at my friend's house in England then pop back over. And the trap, well, let's just say there's a handy potion called polyjuice I know how to brew. And I have an excellent idea how to use it."

"You're a bit of an evil genius." Bella states, before sighing. "Fine. I'll let you take me to England. But you come get me the second it's over." She warns.

"Deal. Now you look like you're about to pass out. I'll take you home." I tell her, leaning over and kissing Alice and giving Leah a quick hug. "Bye Jake, bye Edward." I farewell the boys, before standing up and helping Bella to her feet, before spinning on the spot, apparating us back to Bella's bedroom.

"Show off." Bella yawns, and I give her an innocent look.

"What? I just thought they'd like a demonstration."


	29. Chapter Twenty-Seven: Bella's POV

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN:**

**Bella's POV:**

With graduation days away, Alice and Hermione decided to drag me to Port Angeles, to go shopping, in order to get an outfit for the post-graduation party. Alice wanted us to go to Seattle shopping, but Edward refused to let her take me there. In fact, he didn't even want me to go without him, but Alice insisted, reminding him that Hermione could have me back to Forks in a second.

So that's how I ended up in some kind of high end boutique, browsing through clothes that cost more then my car.

"Ooh, what about this one?" Alice asked excitedly, her eyes glued to one of the mannequins. I feel myself shudder, as Hermione looks it over with a critical eye.

"Ali, I'm not sure if that's even legal to wear. There are laws about indecent exposure, you know. And Charlie's a cop. He'd had to have to arrest you." She informed her girlfriend. Alice shot her a cheeky grin.

"Yeah, but at the graduation party I'm throwing, it'll fit right in. Besides it's not for me, it's for you."

I tried not to laugh as Hermione blushed fiercely. The top in question was a light, glittery gray that would come to just below one's breasts. It was backless, with just two strings that crisscrossed to hold it on.

"No way am I wearing that. Alice, in case you've forgotten, I do not wear stuff like that. _You_ don't even wear stuff like that!" She then turned and gave me a glowering look. "And just you wait to see what she has planned for you!" She threatened. I instantly stopped laughing and gave Alice an anxious look which she ignored, instead giving Hermione the saddest most adorable puppy dog eyes I've ever seen.

"Please? You love me! And you owe me!" She begged, "I'm not beneath pulling that card."

"Owe you? Owe you for what?" Hermione asked, eyeing the top… well, strip of material that appeared to cover one's breasts and not much else would better describe it.

"For the biggest fright of my unlife- you were in a coma." She reminded my sister, and Hermione instantly looked guilty.

"Alice-" she started, but Alice held up a hand.

"Ah, ah, ah!" She interrupted, "now come on! Please? I have a hot pair of leather pants that you could, like, magic to fit you or something, and some really sexy boots. Please, please, please!"

Grabbing the top, Hermione huffed and marched up to the counter. I could hear Alice clapping for joy and then she turned to me, a smirk on her face, and my stomach sunk. "And I know the perfect thing for you." She smiled, and I followed her line of sight and gulped.

"Oh _crap_!"

On the night of graduation, every item of clothing I owned was strewn across my bed; my drawers and closets were bare. The outfit Alice had bought me for the graduation party was the only exception, looking outrageous even on the shapeless hanger.

My khaki skirt lay over the back of the rocking chair, waiting for me to discover something that went with it just exactly right. Something that would make me look beautiful and grown up. Something that said _special occasion_.

It was almost time to go, and I was still wearing my favorite old sweats. Unless I could find something better here- and the odds weren't looking good at this point- I was going to graduate in them.

"How about this?" A familiar voice spoke up from the doorway. I give a surprised shriek and spun around to see Hermione standing there, eyebrow raised, my red blouse held up in her hand.

"It's perfect! You're a lifesaver!" I told her, gratefully, rushing over and grabbing it. She laughed and pulled her wand out of her sleeve and swished it through the air, causing all my clothes to soar through the air and back to their proper places. "And you're a neat freak." I add, yanking off my sweats and pulling on the skirt and blouse.

Hermione didn't even try to argue, just laughed. She looked beautiful, dressed in a black skirt, ballet flats and a pale blue shirt. Her hair was straightened specially for the occasion, and twisted into a half bun. "You look beautiful." I tell her.

"Hey, that's my line." Another familiar voice says. I spin around, this time swallowing my shriek, to see Alice leaning casually beside my now-open window. "Knock, knock." She added with a grin.

"Is it really so hard to wait for me to get the door?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm just passing through." She grinned, "nice outfit, by the way."

"Thanks." I smile, surprised by her complimenting of my fashion sense.

"Hermione choose it?" she continued, and I scowled.

"Yes."

"Nice choice, babe." She grinned, turning to my sister and blurring across the room so she could pull Hermione into a searing hot kiss that had me looking away in embarrassment.

_Thud, thud_- a fist hammered against my door. I jumped, but Hermione and Alice were too wrapped up in, well, each other to notice. "Don't come in!" I just about squeaked, not wanting Hermione's secret to be outed by him walking in on her and Alice with their tongues down each other's throats.

Hermione had yet to tell Charlie she was gay and seeing Alice. She wouldn't admit it, but she was nervous he was going to react badly.

"Aren't you ready yet? We're gonna be late!" Charlie complained, sounding edgy. Charlie hated occasions about as much as I did. Something that he hadn't passed on to Hermione.

"A-almost! Give me a minute!" He was quiet for half a second.

"Is Hermione in there with you? Are you… okay?"

"Yes, she's in here. And yes, I'm fine. Just nervous." I tell him.

"Okay…" his voice trailed off, and I listened to him clump back to the living room area. Hermione and Alice were still wrapped around each other as I pulled a brush through my hair. I'd been planning on asking Hermione to help me do something a bit more sophisticated with it, but time was up, so it hung straight and boring like any other day.

"These gowns are hideous." Alice grumbled, as I fished the ugly yellow polyester graduation robes out from the bag they'd been kept in and threw one in Hermione's direction. Hermione made a face too, as she pulled it over her head, and I copied her actions.

"I never had a graduation at Hogwarts." She then said, sounding sad. "We were all given the option whether or not to go back for another year. I chose not to, though I did sit my NEWT's."

"NEWTs?" Alice asked.

"Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests." Hermione explained, with a wistful smile, "the Wizarding equivalent of finals." Alice giggles, softly, even as she squeezes Hermione's hand gently.

"Well, I'm glad you decided to come here." She said, warmly.

Hermione kissed Alice goodbye, then we hurried down the stairs to meet Charlie by the front door. "You look nice, both of you." He said, voice already gruff with emotion.

"Thanks dad." I said, smiling at him.

"Thank you Charlie." Hermione smiled.

Edward arrived just a few minutes later with Alice by his side, and she greeted us with an enthusiasm that seemed out of place, considering she'd been with us less then five minutes ago.

Charlie had gotten stubborn last week when he'd learned that I was intending to ride with Edward to the graduation ceremony. And I could see his point- parents should have some rights come graduation day. I'd conceded with good grace and Alice, who had been sitting with Hermione in the next room, cheerfully suggested that we all go together.

Since Carlisle and Esme had no problem with this, and because Charlie actually _liked_ Alice and didn't want to offend her, he couldn't come up with a compelling objection. He'd agreed with poor grace, and now I was sandwiched between Edward and Hermione in the back seat, while Alice sat up the front, chatting away a mile a minute with Charlie.

"Are you alright?" Edward asked, softly, as he helped me from my seat in the school parking lot.

"Nervous." I answered, truthfully, squeezing his hand tight.

"You are so beautiful." He said, and I blushed bright red, thinking about what he was going to say when he saw what I was going to wear to the party afterwards. He looked like he wanted to say more, but Charlie, in an obvious maneuver that he meant to be subtle, shrugged in between us and put his arm around my shoulders. I scowled at Hermione out of his line of sight as she smirked and put an arm around her girlfriend's waist.

"Are you excited, Bells?" Charlie asked me.

"Not really." I admitted.

"Bella, this is a big deal! You're graduating from high school! It's the real world for you now- college, living on your own… you're not my little girl anymore." Charlie choked up a bit at the end.

"Dad," I moaned, "please don't get all weepy on me!"

"Who's weepy?" he growled, "now why aren't you excited?"

"I don't know," I admit, "I guess it hasn't really hit yet."

"It a good thing that Alice is throwing this party then," he grumbled, good-naturedly, "you need something to perk you up."

"Sure- a party's exactly what I need." I snap, and Charlie laughed at my tone, squeezing my shoulders, before turning to Hermione. If he thought there was something odd about the way Hermione and Alice's arms were wrapped around each other's waists, he didn't mention it, instead smiling at my sister.

"What about you, 'Mione? Excited?" he asked. Hermione smiled at him, her eyes shining.

"Merlin, yes! I missed my last graduation." She tells him.

"Well, I hope you rub off on Bella a touch." He chuckles. I roll my eyes.

Charlie had to leave us at the back door of the gym and go around to the main entrance with the rest of the parents. It was pandemonium as Ms. Cope from the front office and Mr. Varner the maths teacher tried to line everyone up alphabetically.

"Up the front, Mr. Cullen, Ms. Cullen!" he barked, and Edward pressed a quick kiss to my temples before gliding over to his spot, Alice joining him.

"Hey Bella!" I looked up to see Jessica Stanley waving at me from near the back of the line with a smile on her face. When I didn't move straight away, Hermione gave me a gentle push between my shoulders, and I stumbled forwards a few steps, turned to glare at her, then made my way down to take my place behind Jessica. Hermione ignored my glare, smirked at me, and went to find her place among the 'G's.

Jess was babbling to me before I was even in earshot. "…so amazing! I mean, it seems like we just met, and now we're graduating together!" she gushed. "Can you believe it's over? I feel like screaming!"

"So do I." I muttered.

"This is all just so incredible! Do you remember your first day here? We were friends, like, right away! And now I'm off to California and you'll be in Alaska and I'm going to miss you so much!" She droned on and on, and I was pretty sure the sudden return of our friendship was due to graduation nostalgia and gratitude for the party invite, not that I'd had anything to do with that.

And I was kind of glad that things could end on a good note with Jess. Because it was an ending, no matter what Angela, the valedictorian, had to say about commencement meaning 'beginning' and all the rest of the trite nonsense. Maybe more for me than for the rest, but we were all leaving something behind us today.

It went so quickly. I felt like I'd hit the fast forward button. Were we supposed to march quite that fast? And then Angela was speed talking in her nervousness, the words and phrases swimming together so they didn't make sense anymore... or that could just be in my head. Principal Greene started calling names, one after the other without a long enough pause between; the front row of the gymnasium was rushing to catch up. Poor Ms. Cope was all thumbs as she tried to give the principal the right diploma for the right student.

I watched as Alice danced across the stage to take hers, Edward following behind. Only the two of them could carry off the hideous yellow and still look the way they did. They stood out from the rest of the crowd, their beauty and grace otherworldly. When Mr. Greene called Hermione's name, she strode confidenly across the stage to accept her diploma. I could feel my palms sweating as I clapped, and I could hear people hollering her name.

I finally heard Mr. Greene call Jess' name then my name, and I rose from my chairs, waiting for the line in front of me to move. I heard cheering from the back of the gym and looked around to see Jacob pulling Charlie to his feet, both of them hooting in encouragement. On Charlie's other side, Leah was standing, waving to my sister. I could just make out the top of Billy's head beside Jake's elbow.

Mr. Greene finished with the list of names and then continued to hand out diplomas with a sheepish grin as we filed past. "Congratulations, Miss Stanley." He mumbled as Jess took hers, "congratulations Miss Swan," he mumbled to me, pressing the diploma into the hand I no longer bothered to try and fake was still injured with the brace (after Hermione healed it and the Cullens found out about her being a witch, Charlie was the only one who wasn't in the know, so I just told him it turned out to be a bruise, nothing more).

And that was it.

I went to stand next to Jess with the assembled graduates. Jess was all red around the eyes and she kept blotting her face with the sleeve of her robe. It took me a second to understand she was crying. Hermione managed to squeeze her way over so she was standing next to me, and she was making suspicious sniffing sounds too.

Mr. Greene said something I didn't hear, and then everyone around me was screaming and shouting, and yellow hats were raining everywhere. Hermione elbowed me, and I managed to throw mine just in time, so that it fell to the ground along with the rest.

Hermione then tugged me through the massed yellow gowns as families began to converge, pressing us all tighter together. And then Edward was in front of me, his arms winding around my waist, whispering his congratulations into my ear. I hugged him back, noting the slight subdued note in his voice. He hadn't exactly been in a hurry for me to reach this particular milestone.

"Bella! Hermione! Congratulations my babies!" Charlie crowed, pushing his way past the close-packed families around us. He wrapped his arms around us both, ever so slyly shuffling Edward off to the side as he did so.

Hermione hugged him back, and I tentively patted his back, surprised by his outward show of affection. "Jacob, Billy and Leah had to take off- did you see that they were here?" Charlie asked, taking a step back, but keeping a hand on both of our shoulders.

"Yes." I smiled.

"Heard them too." Hermione added, with a laugh.

"It was nice of them to show." Charlie smiled, "so where do you want to go for dinner? Sky's the limit!"

"I can cook!" I protested, but Charlie shook his heard firmly.

"Don't be silly! Do you want to go to the Lodge?" he asked, with an eager smile. I did not particularly (or at all) enjoy Charlie's favorite restaurant, but I plastered a fake smile on my face and nodded.

"Sure, the Lodge sounds cool." Charlie smiled wider, and then sighed. He turned his head halfway towards Edward, without really looking at him, but smiling at Alice who was standing next to her brother, a wide smile on her face.

"You coming too Alice? ...Edward?"

"Of course!" Alice beamed, skipping over to Hermione's side and threading her arm through my sister's. "Carlisle and Esme will join us there!"

The Lodge was crowded. The place was, in my opinion, overpriced and tacky, but it was the closest thing Forks had to a formal restaurant, so it was always popular for events.

Edward's presence beside me made it a touch more appealing, though, and I think he and the other Cullen's appreciated that in the bedlam, it was easier for them to slip the food off their plates and into various purses and pockets, in order to maintain the façade they were 'eating'.

Charlie, Esme and Carlisle were sitting on one side of the table, while us 'teenagers' sat opposite them. Charlie ate way too slowly, in my opinion, he was so busy chatting with both us, and to everyone else across the aisles.

"Charlie, Esme, Carlisle," Hermione spoke up, after Charlie had finished his prime ribs, "Alice and I have something we'd like to tell you." I look over at her, surprised, and she smiles at our dad. "We're dating."

Charlie snorts. "That supposed to surprise me?" he asked her. Hermione laughs, as Alice wraps an arm over her shoulders.

"Not really, but I thought I should probably formally announce it." Charlie gives her a fond smile.

"I'm happy for you, hun."

"We are too." Esme speaks up, giving my sister a warm smile, "both of you." This is for Charlie's sake, as both Carlisle and Esme were already quite aware.

"We should head off soon," this is Alice, a bright smile on her face, "Hermione promised to help me finish setting up for the party, and we need to duck back to your house to pick up her and Bella's outfit."

"Okay." Charlie smiles, and we all get to our feet. "I'll drive my girls home then around to your place."

"Thanks Charlie." Alice beams.

We make our way out to the car, and I have no doubt that at least one vampire is tailing us on our way home.

When we reach the house, Hermione vanishes up to her room and I gulp. "Worried about the party?" Charlie asks me, with a grin.

"Yeah." I groan, chewing on my lip. He laughs.

"You were never one for parties."

"Wonder who I got that from?" I grumble, and he reaches over and ruffles my hair.

"Well you look really nice. I'm proud of you, baby. You and your sister both."

"I love you dad." I told him, softly, and he blushed.

"Love you too, Bells. Now go get ready."

"Traitor." I mumble, before making my way up to my bedroom, stripping out of my blouse and skirt, and pulling the dreaded outfit off the hanger in my wardrobe, gritting my teeth, steeling my nerves, then dressing in it.

The outfit Alice had picked out was nothing like anything I'd usually wear, but it still looked amazing on me, I had to admit. Alice really was the queen of fashion. The dress was black and skintight, with a red leather belt. Under the dress I wore long red leggings that ended in cuff style black boots, which Alice had the sense to choose flat-soled- with me, heels were just asking for me to fall.

I applied red lipstick with a hand that shook slightly, as well as a touch of mascara, and hung some gaudy fake-diamond earrings on my ears. Someone knocked at the door and I yelled for them to come in, hoping it was Hermione.

It was, and the second I saw her my jaw dropped open.

She looked… well, sexy. The glittery grey top clung to her breasts, while showing off her smooth stomach and the glittery jewel piercing on her navel. Her pants were tight and black and made out of something that looked suspiciously like leather, matched with what I instantly deemed stripper heels. Her hair was out, the chestnut curls streaming freely around her face, tumbling over her shoulders. She was holding, in her hand, a small clutch. I blurted out the first thing that came to my mind.

"When did you get your belly-button pierced?" Hermione laughed and looked down at her stomach.

"Did it magically a few minutes ago." She answered, "what do you think?"

"You look amazing." I admit, and she smiles.

"You do too. Ready to go?" I look down at myself and cringe.

"Charlie's going to freak out." Hermione gave me a wicked grin, and pulled her wand out of the clutch. I looked at her, surprised- the bag didn't look big enough to hold a wand. "Undetectable extension charm," she explained, vaguely, before flicking her wand in my direction. A warmth flared over my skin for a second, then Hermione pocketed her wand.

"Um… mind explaining?" I asked, dryly, when she didn't say anything.

"Oh. Right. Glamour charm- when Charlie looks at us he'll see that we're wearing nice jeans and halter tops." She shrugs. I nod.

"Evil genius." I confirm. She just laughs at me.

"Let's go."

Charlie grumbled as he tried to navigate his way to the Cullens place in the dark, muttering obscenities under his breath that I was pretty sure Hermione and I weren't supposed to hear. "Where's the turnoff, again? Jesus, they ought to clear out their drive- it's damn impossible to find!"

"Just around the next bend, I think." I relay instructions, for the hundredth time, "Alice said she put a map in the invitation, but even so, maybe everyone will get lost." I cheered up slightly at the idea.

"I don't think so," Hermione interjected, sounding smug, "wait till you turn the bend."

As the road curved to the east, the black velvet darkness was interrupted- just where the Cullens' drive should be. Someone had wrapped the trees on either side in thousands of twinkle lights, impossible to miss. "Alice." I said sourly.

"Damn." Charlie said, as we turned onto the drive. The two trees at the entry weren't the only ones lit- every twenty feet or so, another shining beacon guided us toward the big white house. All the way- all three miles of the way.

"She doesn't do things halfway, does she?" Charlie mumbled in awe. "Have fun girls. I'll pick you up tomorrow morning. Don't do anything…" He trails off, blushing somewhat, and I blush to as I catch on to what he's inferring.

"Dad!" I squeak, shaking my head rapidly. "No! No way!"

"Okay." He sighs in relief.

We stepped out of the car, and I watched my last way of escape drive away. With a sigh, I let Hermione grab my arm and basically drag me up the stairs to endure the party.


	30. Chapter Twenty-Eight: Hermione's POV

**CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT:**

**Hermione's POV:**

"Unbelievable." I heard Bella moan as we got our first look at the party.

The interior of the Cullens' home had been transformed into a nightclub- the kind that didn't often exist in real life, only on TV. "Hermione!" Alice squealed, from beside a gigantic speaker. She looked gorgeous, dressed in a sequined tank top and red leather pants. Her bare skin reacted oddly to the pulsing red and purple lights.

"You look gorgeous!" I grinned, hurrying over to her. She beamed at me.

"So do you!" She replied, reaching up on her tiptoes to kiss me, before turning to her 'brother'. "Edward, I need your advice!" She told her brother, gesturing toward a towering stack of CDs. "Should we give them familiar and comforting? Or-" she gestured to a different pile- "educate their taste in music?"

"Keep it comforting," Edward recommended, "you can only lead the horse to water." Alice nodded seriously and I rolled my eyes at my girlfriend as she started throwing the 'educational' CDs into a box.

"Do you really think people will come?" Bella asked Edward. I could hear the hope in her voice all the way from over here. Alice made a face at her, and I laughed.

"Everyone will come," Edward answered, an apologetic look on his face, "they're all dying to see the inside of the reclusive Cullens' mystery house."

"Fabulous." Bella moaned. And then the doorbell rang.

Alice turned on the speakers, turned the volume up high, and then danced to get the door. It was a Suburban-load of Bella's friends, either too nervous or too intimidated to arrive on their own.

The Jessica girl, who I'd yet to warm up to, was the first one in the door, with the awful Mike boy right behind her. Tyler, Connor, Austin, Lee, Samantha… even the deplorable Lauren trailing in last, her critical eyes alight with curiosity. They were all curious and then overwhelmed as they took in the huge room, decked out like a chic rave.

Bella went to greet them, and then the doorbell rang again and more people were arriving.

As Bella was forced to play hostess (whilst tossing down the shot glasses filled with colored liquid Emmett kept handing her) I leaned against the wall of the house for a time, enjoying the energy of the party- the pulsing music, the flashing lights… it was hypnotic. Although the party had been billed as a joint event for Bella, Alice, Edward and myself, there was no denying Bella was the most popular target for congratulations and thanks.

I sipped, slowly, at the drink Alice had handed me, and could clearly taste the alcohol mixed with the fruity punch. Alice danced over to me, her face shining with happiness at the success of her party. "Can we dance?" she pleads, casting a longing glance to the mass of bodies on the 'dance floor'.

"Sure." I smiled, and accepted her hand, letting her drag me out into the middle of living room turned club.

We fell into an easy pattern, with me moving with Alice, letting her lead. It was hot, freeing and primal- Alice's hips were grinding against my right thigh and my body was mirroring her actions. Her hand slipped around my shoulders pulling me in close. Our breasts rubbed together and Alice's lips glided along my neck, sucking and nibbling on the flesh, oh so carefully, making sure not to break the skin.

The feeling of Alice basically claiming me in public, marking me as hers in the primal way that vampires are wont to, made me moan, and- smiling in satisfaction- my pixie vampire worked her way over to the un-ravished side of my neck. I ignored the surprised stares, whispers and pointing, concentrating instead on my beautiful girlfriend.

Whilst repeating her affections to my neck, Alice slid her hands along my back, hips and stomach and my body arched against hers, into her touch. The songs bled together as we continued to move in unison.

I was glad that the room was so dark and the music so loud that only the vampires could see my blushing, hear my rough panting. Maybe it was the fact I was rarely ever going to see any of the other students again that emboldened me so, I thought, as I pulled back and grabbed the back of Alice's head, pulling our mouths together.

As our teeth clicked together and tongues dueled for dominance, we moved faster and harder to the music. My back hit the wall, and I realized that somehow Alice had guided me from the middle of the floor, to against the wall, without me even noticing.

A cough broke me out of my Alice induced daze, and I looked over to see Leah standing there, looking amused. She looked stunning and elegant in a knee-length hunter green dress. Alice's lips curled back a touch and a small growl escaped her as I smiled and greeted my friend. "Hey Leah!"

"Hey lovebirds." She greeted us, with a smirk. Rolling my eyes at the disgruntled expression on Alice's face, I slid my hand into hers, and squeezed gently.

"It's great to see you."

"It's great to see you too… though I'd prefer somewhere less smelly." She wrinkled her nose.

"Well I can promise that we're definitely not enjoying you stinking up our house." Alice snapped.

"Bloody hell, I'm turning into Bella here." I sigh, "guys; just stop. Seriously. I'm in the mood for celebrating, not stupid grudges."

"Sorry." Alice says sheepishly.

"Turning into Bella." Leah snorts, amused.

"I love her to pieces, but seriously, she kinda needs to figure out Edward and Jacob will not become friends and will never become friends." Leah scrunches up her face.

"Eww, I better not be the Jacob in that equation!" She warns, "I am not panting after you like some love sick puppy."

"You realize I can hear every word you're saying." Another voice interrupts us, this one slightly lower pitched. I turn to see Jacob, looking uncomfortable in his shirt and tie, with Quil on one side and Embry on the other.

"How many of you are here?" I ask, surprised.

"Four." Alice and Leah say at the same time, before glaring at each other. I sigh.

"Okay, and why are you here?"

"To congratulate you and Bella." Jacob says, with an impish grin. I raise an eyebrow.

"I'm gay, Jacob. That look won't distract me." I inform him. Alice lets out another little growl, wrapping her arm around my waist, while Leah, Quil and Embry laugh.

"He's actually telling the truth." This time it's Edward speaking, a smile on his face, though it's definitely not directed at the wolf shape-shifter, rather at the girl wrapped in his arms. Bella.

I barely recognize her- her eyes are wide, her cheeks are flushed and she's smiling so hard her face looks like it might split. I squeeze Alice's hand, feeling happiness swell inside me. My pixie was right- this _was_ what Bella needed, not that my sister will ever admit it. A normal high school experience.

"You drunk, Bella?" I tease her, and the red spots on my twin's cheeks darken.

"I barely drank anything!" She protests.

"Except about a hundred Jell-O shots." Edward interjects, "I'm going to kill Emmett." He adds, rolling his eyes even as he smiles down at my sister sappily. Except, I guess I can't really mock him anymore for being such a lovesick… vampire. Not when I can actually feel the strength of the soul-mate bond myself. Though I reckon lovesick looks better on Alice then him.

"Wait, they've got alcohol in them?" Bella asks, surprised, before groaning. "He told me they didn't! He promised! Damn it! Damn him! I'm going to kill him! I'm going to smash his x-box and playstation and Wii and-"

"And you're drunk." I interrupt. Bella pouts then sighs.

"Maybe just a teeny-weeny bit." She agrees. I roll my eyes.

"Look after her and make sure she doesn't do anything she'll regret." I warn her vampire. Edward nods at me, and I relax, knowing he'll look after my sister.

"Do you want another drink?" Alice asks me, and I shake my head.

"No thanks. Firewhiskey has ruined all other alcohol for me." I inform her. There are a few frowns brought on by the unfamiliar name.

"Firewhiskey?" Edward asks, puzzled.

"Magical whiskey." I grin, and I get a few wide-eyed looks from the wolves and vamps.

"You'll have to let us try some one day." Jacob says, and the conversation moves on. Conversation between the werewolves and the vampires (and Bella and I) is surprisingly easy. There's some banter and barbs, but they're more thrown in just because they're _supposed_ to be, then anything else.

By the time midnight rolls around, we've talked, danced, drunk more, and Bella is absolutely plastered, with Edward fully supporting her as she sways on her feet. "Light weight." I gently tease her, brushing a stray lock of hair out of her eyes. Her alcohol-glazed eyes meet mine, and she smiles, wonkily, at me.

"I'm glad you came to live with us." She tells me, before her eyelids flutter closed and she goes limp in her mate's arms.

"_Aaaand_, she's out." I smile.

"I'll take her up to bed." Edward murmurs, before disappearing off with my sleeping twin.

"We'll get going too." Jacob says, shooting a wistful look in the direction Bella and Edward disappeared off in. I farewell the wolves, and turn to my beautiful girlfriend.

"How about we go up to your bedroom?" I suggest, wiggling my eyebrows. She giggles, and wraps her arms around me, pulling me in for a kiss.

"You realize my whole family will be able to hear us?" she breathes, in my ear.

"Ah, you forgot, Alice," I give her a wicked grin, "Magic." Her eyes glaze, and then she's pulling us up the stairs, up to her room. We're barely in the room when she yanks apart the tiny bits of string holding the scrap of material that is my shirt up, and it falls to the floor. I moan as her icy lips meet my sensitive flesh, and quickly mutter a wandless silencing charm under my breath, before reaching behind Alice and almost breaking the flimsy material in my haste to get the tank top off.

She pulls away from me for a second to shimmy out of her pants, and I try not to drool. "You're so beautiful." I tell her, "I love you, Ali."

"I love you too, 'Mione." Alice smiles, and then her lips are on mine, her hands are on me, touching me. The backs of my legs hit the bed, and I let out a surprised squeak, falling backwards, onto the soft mattress.

"It's my turn." Alice breathes, sinking to her knees beside the bed, her eyes dark. She uses her strength to literally tear the skintight leather pants off me, then her hands are a blur they're moving so fast as she removes my heels, and then her mouth is on me, her tongue is in me. Her movements are slightly halting, a touch awkward at first, but she picks things up quickly, and soon has me gasping out in pleasure.

When I come down from my post-orgasmic high, Alice is beside me on the bed, her hair mussed adorably, a shy expression on her face. "Was that okay?" She asked, anxiously.

"Amazing. The best I've ever had." I tell her, warmly. She lets out a sigh of relief, and I laugh, softly. "You worry too much, love." I tease her, before giving her a wicked smirk. "Guess what?" Alice licks her lips.

"What?" she asks, her voice soft and slightly husky. My smirk widens.

"It's your turn now."

I wake up wrapped around Alice, completely naked, my head pounding slightly. "Morning." I yawn, planting a kiss on her cheeks.

"Morning." She greets me back. I blink sleepily and look around the room, my cheeks going pink as I see the evidence of our activities last night- clothes are scattered over the floor, most of mine ripped from Alice's haste in getting them off me, the sheets on the bed I'm currently laying in are slightly bunched, and both of us are naked, our hair a mess.

"Awesome party." I tell Alice, and she laughs.

"It was, but the after party was definitely more awesome." She says, before cringing slightly. "Too cheesy?" she asks, and I shake my head, kissing her nose.

"Just cheesy enough."

I get up and make my way over to where I abandoned my clutch, and pull from it a hangover potion. I down it quickly, pulling a face at the flavor. "Gross." I mutter, even as my headache disappears in the blink of an eye.

"What was that?" Alice asks, curiously, blurring over so she's standing next to me.

"Hangover potion." I admit, and she giggles, before offering me a robe to wear. It's blue and silky, and reaches my mid calf, and I accept it with a smile. The robe she's wearing is similar in appearance, except for the difference in color- hers is pink. "You look cute in that." I tell her, as I pull my wand out of the clutch and stash it in the tie. She pouts, even as her eyes widen seeing me pull the wand out of the tiny bag, and stash another hangover potion in the pocket.

"Sexy cute, I hope. Is that bag magic?"

"Undetectable extension charm." I tell her, giving it a quick rattle. Her eyes widen further at the sound of books crashing around. I wince. "Oops. I had them stacked neatly."

"Amazing!" She breathes, before looping her arm in mine, and leading me down to the kitchen.

Bella and Edward are already down there, and he's cooking breakfast while she's sitting slumped over the table, a wet cloth on her forehead. "I'm never drinking again." She moans, as I walk over to her. I grab the hangover potion and push it into her hand.

"Drink this." I advise. She does so, pulling a face similar to the one I did as the flavor hits her.

"That's putrid!" she splutters, before her eyes widen. "Wait… oh my god! I could kiss you right now!" She beams, jumping to her feet and wrapping her arms around me, squeezing tightly.

"Can't! Breath!" I gasped, and she let me go, a sheepish expression on her face.

"Hangover potion." Alice tells a confused looking Edward, who chuckles at the revelation.

Bella's eyes rake over me, examining my mussed hair and the too short robe that barely covers up the fact I'm naked under it. Her eyes widen comically. "Oh my god!" she splutters, her face going red, "did you two… do it?"

I grin at her as I sit down on the seat to her right. "If by 'it' you mean sex, then yes." I inform her. In my peripheral vision I can see Edward freeze, before turning wide, shocked eyes to Alice.

"Alice?" he just about croaks, "you had sex… while she's human?"

"Wasn't the first time, won't be the last." I answer for her, before turning to Bella, "Vampire stamina," I inform her, winking at Alice, "is _a_-mazing!" Edward makes another choking noise, and Bella makes quite a similar one, her face now resembling a tomato.

Laughing, I turn to Alice, who looks somewhat smug. "I love you." I tell her, and she beams back at me.

"I love you too."

For a vampire, Edward is a surprisingly good cook. His egg benedicts are almost as good as a House Elf's. About halfway through the meal, Alice's face goes blank, and Edward sucks in a breath.

"What is it?" I ask her, softly, as her eyes clear again. She turns to me, her face drawn.

"Next Saturday." She whispers, and I don't have to ask what she's referring to. "Seven days from now."

Next to me, Bella looks like she's about to cry, and the other Cullens all enter the kitchen, all having heard Alice's declaration. Emmett shoots me a wink, from his position leaning against the door, and I roll my eyes, knowing he's referring to our previous conversation.

"Seven days. Do we know where?" Carlisle asks, from where he's standing at the head of the table.

"The clearing. The trap works well- Bella's scent leads them straight there." Alice nods.

"And the wolves involvement?"

"Half of the newborns disappear." Alice confirms.

"I feel like we should be relieved." This is Esme, her face drawn, "but all I can think about is the fact we're going to have to kill." Carlisle lays a gentle hand on Esme's shoulder.

"I don't like this anymore then you do, love." He murmurs, "if there was any other way, I'd take it, but we don't have a choice."

My gaze sweeps across the room, at the grim faces of the other Cullens, including Alice's. They were ready to fight.

And so was I.


	31. Chapter Twenty-Nine: Bella's POV

**CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE:**

**Bella's POV:**

I couldn't stop thinking about what Hermione had said this morning at breakfast. '_Wasn't the first time, won't be the last...'_

Edward had always been so strict about setting limits, boundaries. 'I don't want to hurt you', 'it's not safe'... and I accepted that. But Hermione and Alice had made love, and Hermione was unscathed and looked perfectly satisfied, even making jokes.

I wanted that. I wanted that intimacy, before I wasn't human anymore. Weeks. I had weeks left. And before I was a vampire, I wanted him. Even just once. It was one human experience that I didn't want to miss out on.

On the car ride back to my house, I didn't speak, didn't say a word, I was so wrapped up in my thoughts. I didn't even notice Edward had pulled over until we were braked on the side of the road, and my hands were in one of his, and his other hand was tilting my chin up to look in his concerned eyes.

"Bella, are you okay?" he asked, looking worried. I gave him a wobbly smile.

"I've got a lot to think about." I answer him, quietly.

"Tell me." He murmured, squeezing my hands ever so gently. I feel the blood rush to my cheeks, as I think about actually doing it, actually telling him what I'm thinking.

As I struggled to find the exact right words, he tilted his head slightly, seeming a touch confused. "Your heart is fluttering like a hummingbird's wings," he murmured, "are you alright, love?"

"I'm great!" I basically squeaked, blushing even harder.

"Bella... you're worrying me," he frowned, "please... just tell me what you're thinking!" I take a deep breath.

"Okay, I want to talk to you about that whole marriage thing- you know, the whole ridiculous you'll only be the one to turn me if I marry you first." Edward's mouth twitched into a smile.

"It's only ridiculous to you, love." He chuckled, pressing a soft kiss to my knuckles.

"Edward," I take a deep breath, "let's just clarify your prerequisites. And then we'll discuss mine." He raised an eyebrow.

"I wasn't aware you had any prerequisites besides being turned." He said, his voice a mixture of confused and curious, "and you know what I want." He reminded me, and I pulled a face.

"Matrimony."

"Yes," he smiled a wide smile, "to start with." The shock spoiled my carefully composed expression.

"There's more?" I squeaked, eyes wide.

"Well," his voice, his tone was cautious, his words carefully chosen, "if you're my wife, then what's mine is yours... like tuition money. For Dartmouth." I cringe slightly thinking about the acceptance letter that I was 95% sure Edward paid for.

"Anything else?" I snap.

"Well... I wouldn't mind some more time."

"No! No time! That's a deal breaker right there!" I just about growl, and he sighed longingly.

"Just a year or two?" I shook my head, my lips set in a stubborn frown.

"Move along to the next one."

"That's it. Unless you'd like to talk cars..." He grinned widely when I grimaced. "Now what did you want? I'm extremely curious." His voice was low and soft, "I honestly didn't realize you wanted anything other then being transformed into a monster."

I paused, staring at my hands in his. I still didn't know how to begin. I felt his eyes watching me, and I was afraid to look up. The blood began to burn in my face and his cool fingers brushed against my cheek. "You're blushing?" he asked in surprise. I kept my eyes down. "Please Bella, the suspense is painful." I bit my lip.

"Edward... I'm a little worried... about after." I admitted, without looking at him. I could almost feel his body tense, but his voice was gentle and velvet.

"What has you worried?"

"All of you just seem so convinced that the only thing I'm going to be interested in, afterward, is slaughtering everyone in town," I confessed, while he winced at my choice of words, "and I'm afraid I'll be so preoccupied with the mayhem and thirst that I won't be me anymore... and that I won't... I won't want you the same way I do now."

"Bella, love, that part doesn't last forever," he assured me. Damnit- he was missing the point.

"Edward," I said, nervous, staring at a freckle on my wrist, "there's something I want to do before I'm not human anymore." He waited for me to continue, but I almost physically couldn't, I was so embarrassed. God, why couldn't he act like a normal, sex-obsessed teenage boy?

"Whatever you want," Edward encouraged, anxious and completely clueless, as I stayed silent.

"Do you promise?" I asked, knowing my attempt to trap him with his words was not going to work, but unable to resist.

"Yes." He said, and I looked up to see his eyes were earnest and confused. "Tell me what you want and you can have it. Anything." I couldn't believe how awkward and idiotic I felt. I was too innocent- which was, of course, central to the discussion. I didn't have the faintest idea how to be seductive- I would just have to settle for flushed and self-conscious.

Damn, I should have asked Hermione for advice. She managed to get Alice in bed in less then three months (I really couldn't picture Alice seducing Hermione) and here I was, two years down the track, and still woefully pure and un-violated. God, it sucked.

"Edward," a deep breath, and finally looking up at him, meeting his eyes. "I want you."

"I'm yours." He said, smiled, still completely oblivious. I took a deep breath and shifted forwards in the car seat so I was leaning over the gears, and wrapping my arms around his neck, kissing him. I had no intention of actually having sex with him in the car, but I had an inkling that it would take more then just one conversation to get him to agree to sleep with me.

Edward kissed me back, bewildered but willing. His lips were gentle against mine, but I could tell his mind was elsewhere- trying to figure out what was on my mind. I decided he needed a hint.

My hands were trembling as I unlocked my arms from around his neck and slid my fingers down his neck to the collar of his shirt. The shaking didn't help as I tried to hurry to undo the buttons before he could stop me. His lips froze and I could almost hear the click in his head as he put together my words and actions.

He pushed me away at once, his face a mixture of disapproving and shocked. Wow, way to make a girl feel good, I thought sourly. "Be reasonable Bella."

"You promised- whatever I wanted." I reminded him, without hope.

"We're not having this discussion." He glared at me. My teeth clamped together.

"Well I say we are."

"I say we're not." He rebutted, flatly. We glowered at each other.

"You wanted to know." I pointed out.

"I thought it would be something faintly realistic."

"So you can ask for any stupid, ridiculous thing you want- like getting married- but I'm not even allowed to discuss what I-" while I was ranting, he pulled my hands together to restrain them in just one of his, and put his other hand over my mouth.

"No." His face was hard. I took a deep breath to steady myself. And, as the anger began to fade, I felt something else.

It took me a minute to recognize why I was staring down again, the blush returning- why my stomach felt uneasy, why there was too much moisture in my eyes, why I suddenly wanted to just get out of the car and run as far away as I could. Rejection washed through me, instinctive and strong.

I knew it was irrational. He'd been very clear on more then one occasion that my safety was the only factor. Yet, I'd never made myself quite so vulnerable before, and I scowled down at my lap and tried to vanish the reflex reaction that told me I was unwanted and unwantable.

Edward sighed. The hand over my mouth moved under my chin and he pulled my face up until I had to look at him. His expression quickly turned horrified. "Did I hurt your feelings?" He asked, sounding shocked.

"No." I lied, the escaping sob not doing much to convince him. So quickly that I wasn't even sure how it happened, I was on his seat, on his lap, in his arms, my face cradled between his shoulder and hand, while his thumb stroked reassuringly against my cheek.

"You know why I have to say no," he murmured, "you know that I want you, too."

"Do you?" I whispered, my voice full of doubt.

"Of course I do, you silly, beautiful, oversensitive girl." He laughed once, and then his voice was bleak.

"Then tell me if I have anything wrong," I whispered, "your demands are marriage" -I couldn't say the word without making a face- "paying my tuition, more time, and you wouldn't mind if my vehicle went a little faster." I raised my eyebrows. "Did I get everything? That's a hefty list."

"Only the first is a demand." He seemed to be having a hard time keeping a straight face. "The others are merely requests." I continued as if he hadn't interrupted.

"And meanwhile, my lone, solitary, little demand is-"

"Demand?" he interrupted, suddenly serious again.

"Yes, demand." His eyes narrowed. "Getting married is a stretch for me. I'm not giving in unless I get something in return." He leaned down to whisper in my ear.

"No," he murmured, silkily, "it's not possible now. Later, when you're less breakable. Please Bella, be patient." I tried to keep my voice firm and reasonable.

"But that's the problem. I won't be the same when I'm less breakable. It won't feel the same when I'm less breakable. I've never, ever had sex before, Edward. I don't want it to be something I regret, and it will be. It will, because I know there are human things I won't experience, and this doesn't have to be one of them. I don't want this to be one of them!"

Edward took a deep breath. I was surprised it sounded a little unsteady. "Bella, I could kill you." He whispered.

"I don't think you could." Edward's eyes tightened.

"I could crush you with one hand." I glared.

"That's not what I meant. I know how strong you are."

"What did you mean, then?" His eyes were intent on my face as I struggled to explain.

"Obviously, not that you aren't physically able to hurt me, if you wanted to... more that, you don't want to hurt me... so much that I don't think you ever could." He started shaking his head before I was done.

"It might not work like that, Bella."

"Might," I scoffed, "you have no more idea what you're talking about than I do. But we know it's possible! Alice managed it, Edward! More then once! Hermione's in one piece and happy and I want that too! Please Edward... it's all I want. Please." I closed my eyes in defeat, waiting for the quick and final no. But he didn't answer immediately.

I hesitated in disbelief, stunned to hear that his breathing was uneven again. I opened my eyes, and his face was torn. "Please?" I whispered again, my words tumbling out as I rushed to take advantage of the sudden uncertainty in his eyes. "You don't have to make me any guarantees. If it doesn't work out right, well, then that's that. Just let us try... only try. And I'll give you what you want," I promised, rashly, "I'll marry you. I'll let you pay for Dartmouth, and I won't complain about the bribe to get me in. You can even buy me a fast car if that makes you happy! Just... please!"

Hi icy arms tightened around me, and his lips were at my ear; his cool breath made me shiver. "This is unbearable. So many tings I've wanted to give you- and this is what you decide to demand. Do you have any idea how painful it is, trying to refuse you when you plead with me this way?"

"Then don't refuse." I suggested, breathlessly. He didn't respond. "Please?" I tried again.

"Bella..." he shook his head slowly, but it didn't feel like a denial as his face, his lips, moved back and forth across my throat. It felt more like surrender. My heart racing already, spluttered frantically. "Once condition." His voice was soft.

"What?" I asked, cautiously.

"Out of the two of us, which do you think is more unwilling to give the other what they want? You just promised to marry me before you do any changing, but if I give in and we do it, say tonight, what guarantee would I have that you wouldn't go running off to Carlisle in the morning? I am- clearly- much less reluctant to give you what you want. Therefore... you first."

I exhaled with a loud huff. "I have to marry you first?" I asked, in disbelief. Edward nodded, face set.

"That's the deal- take it or leave it."

"How did this happen?" I grumbled, "I thought I was holding my own, and now, all of a sudden-"

"You're engaged." He finished. I blanched.

"Ew! Please don't say that out loud!" I shuddered.

"Are you going back on your word?" he asked, his expression entertained. Bastard was having fun. I glared at him. "Are you?" he pressed.

"Ugh!" I groaned, "No! I'm not! Are you happy now?" His smile was blinding.

"Exceptionally." I groaned again and he raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you happy at all?"

"A little bit." I admitted, grudgingly, "but not about getting married." I added, when he could say anything else.

"Do you get the feeling that everything is backward?" he laughed, "traditionally, shouldn't you be arguing my side, and I yours?" I gave him a reluctant smile.

"There isn't much that's traditional about you and me." I reminded him. He smiled at me.

"True." I wrapped my arms around him, and leaned my cheek against his shoulder. There was nothing traditional about us at all, what with vampires and werewolves and witches... but, to be honest, I wouldn't want it any other way.

**A/N: Sorry this was just a quick bridge chapter- I needed to get this conversation over and done with before the battle. **


	32. Chapter Thirty: Hermione's POV

**CHAPTER THIRTY:**

**Hermione's POV:**

A short giggle escaped my girlfriend's mouth as she leaned back against the head of her bed, with me curled up next to her. On my lap was a portable DVD player that she'd found somewhere, and in front of Alice was a pile of DVDs which I had given her the task of choosing one from.

Bella and Edward had taken off about ten minutes ago, and Alice and I decided to hang out at her place a little longer.

"What is it?" I ask her, and she turns and gives me a cheeky look. "In a few minutes Edward and Bella are going to have the 'sex' conversation." I laugh, trying but unable to picture Bella confronting her boyfriend about wanting to have sex.

"How does it go?" I ask.

"Well, a point in her favor he does end up agreeing to give it a try. Point in his favor, she's about to be engaged." I splutter, choking on my own saliva as I gape at Alice.

"_Engaged_? _Bella_?" I ask, incredulously. "Blimey! I had no idea she was that desperate for a good shag!"

"I love it when you sound all British." Alice purred, kissing my cheek, before pulling a movie out of the pile. "This one?" she asks. I give it a quick once-over then shrug.

"Sure." I agree, before pausing and frowning. "She had better ask me to be a bridesmaid."

"She does. Well, maid of honor, actually." Alice corrects, with a small grin. I elbow her.

"Annoying wretch! Spoiling the surprise much!" I tease her. Alice gives a wide-eyed, innocent look.

"What? I didn't say anything." I roll my eyes at her and kiss her forehead.

"You're lucky I love you."

"I am." She agrees, curling up and laying her head on my shoulder as the opening credits roll over the small screen. "Now shut up so we can watch the movie." I laugh and do as she says.

I've found that's usually the wise thing to do. Alice is the most adorably stubborn creature I've ever met.

After the movie, Alice and I wander down to the living room where Jasper, Carlisle and Emmett have set up what looks like some kind of War council, map of Forks, plastic colored counters and everything. Edward had returned, and was talking with them, in a low voice.

"Where did you get the counters?" I ask them, genuinely curious. I mean, who has a bunch of little plastic colored disks laying around their house?

"Board game." Emmett grins, looking anticipatory. I resist the urge to roll my eyes at him. Honestly, he's such an overgrown child.

I study the battle plan, a thoughtful expression on my face. "So we know where the newborns are coming from?"

"We're not exactly sure which path they'll take, because they don't know yet." Jasper tells me, "but we do know they'll be coming from the mountains. The false scent Bella will leave to the clearing will excite them, and when they catch our scent, they'll split up and try to come at us from two sides."

"Half will come through the forest," Alice speaks up, "and that's where my visions disappear, so we can assume that's when the wolves intercept them."

"And the rest will come to the clearing, where we'll be ready and waiting." Bree finishes.

"Will Victoria be in the battle?" I ask, already knowing the answer.

"No." Alice says, grimacing as she shakes her head. "I can't see her, not even flickers."

"So she'll be watching somewhere." Jasper surmises.

"Well, that's where I come in." I say, stepping forwards to examine the map. "If Bella was going to be present for the battle, where would you have stashed her to keep her safe?" I ask Edward. He examines the map, then points to a spot on the map.

"Most likely there. It's a small spot I know, roughly nine miles away. Why?"

"Okay, we need a way to disguise her scent until we get closer to there, so the newborns don't pick up on it." I muse, "What's the best way to do that?"

"You're the witch," Emmett speaks up with a grin, "know any spells?"

"I know one that can stick you to the wall upside down, naked and completely green." I warn him. He pouts. "But, I don't know one to disguise a scent, only to banish it, and that won't work over a long distance."

We sit in silence for a few minutes, thinking, before Edward groans, turning to Bree. "Really?" he asks. Bree shrugs.

"What? I can't imagine any of us sticking our noses close enough to actually sniff it."

"Mind explaining it for those of us who can't read minds?" Alice asks, her voice lace with annoyance. Edward turns his disgruntled face towards Alice.

"We get one of the dogs to carry her."

"That'll work." I nod, still thinking hard. "Jake or Leah will be more then happy to do it."

"I bet he will." Rosalie sneers, from across the room. A small growl rumbles in Edward's chest and I sigh, deciding to ignore them.

"We'll set up a camp site and Bella and Edward can stay the night, making sure the scent is especially strong. A few hours before the battle I'll apparate over and take Bella to England, then apparate back. I'll stay there with Edward, disguised as Bella."

"How can you do that?" Edward frowns. I grin.

"That's my secret."

"Even if you look like her, your scent will give you away." Bree speaks up, shaking her head.

"I'll wear her clothes," I think aloud, "and Carlisle can give us a blood transfusion."

"That's… actually a really good idea." Bree says.

"You could sound a little less surprised." I grumble, and she gives me a sheepish grin.

"Sorry."

"Forgiven." I nod, rolling my eyes.

"Do you really think Victoria will find you there?" Edward asks, a frown still on his face.

"She will." This is Alice, her face looking unusually somber, "it goes blank."

"Okay." I nod then stretch, wincing slightly as I hear the bones in my back pop. "Ali, can you give me a lift home? I need to shower and change." I tell her, looking down at my body, still dressed only in the too small robe. She nods, and then grins.

"I do prefer you in that though." I grin at her.

"I bet you do." Emmett grins over the table, and Alice shoots him a dirty look, before we walk over to the garage. Alice waits until we're in the car and speeding along the road before glaring at me.

"What?" I ask, surprised.

"I don't like the idea of you facing Victoria by yourself." she grumbles, pulling a face.

"I'll be okay, Al. Even if she brings a newborn with her, that's just two vamps. I can handle that." I tell her.

Alice sighs. "I still don't like it."

"I'll be careful, Al." I tell her, softly, "and one sign of danger, I'll be out of there before you can say abracadabra." She snorts slightly at this, her lips curving into a smile.

"You drive like a madwoman." I tell her, as she pulls to a screeching halt outside my house. She laughs.

"Charlie's going to be home in about fifteen minutes." She pre-warns me, still giggling slightly. "You better go clean yourself up and change into something presentable." I widen my eyes.

"You mean you don't want to join me in the shower?" I exclaim playfully, in pretend shock. Her eyes darken in hunger, and then she literally carries me out of the car, blurring into the house, up to the bathroom.

I was entirely presentable when Charlie got home- fully dressed, hair decent and in the kitchen putting lunch on the table- lunch I'd prepared with a couple of handy spells Molly had taught me. I can't cook- sue me.

Bella was slumped in her chair, rubbing her eyes, no longer hung over, but still looking exhausted, and Alice was sitting in the place where Edward usually sat- this seemed to make Charlie's day.

"Howdy, Alice! How are you, hon?" he asked, as he settled down in his seat.

"I'm fine Charlie, thanks." Alice smiled.

"Everyone's talking about that party you threw last night- I bet you've got one heck of a clean-up job ahead of you." He smiled. I hid my smile, knowing that it's already cleaned up.

"It was worth it- it was a great party." Alice beamed.

"Where's Edward?" Charlie asked, a little grudgingly. "Is he helping clean up?" Alice let out a sigh, and her face turned tragic.

"No- he's off planning next weekend with Emmett and Jasper."

"Hiking again?" Charlie asked, trying and failing to hide his pleased expression. Alice nodded, her face forlorn.

"Yes. They're all going, except me. We always go backpacking at the end of the school year, sort of a celebration, but this year I decided I'd rather shop than hike and not one of them will stay behind with me! I'm completely abandoned!"

Her expression was so devastating that Charlie leaned towards her, automatically one hand reaching to, looking for some way to help. I eyed my girlfriend, amused, as I realized what she was doing, while Bella looked at her confused. "Alice, honey, why don't you come stay with us?" Charlie offered, "I hate to think of you all alone in that big house."

"Charlie, we don't exactly have the best accommodations here." I interject, "I don't think Alice would want to sleep on my floor." Charlie pursed his lips, and Alice's devastated expression increased tenfold.

Honestly, she was amazing.

"Maybe my girls should stay up there with you?" he suggested, "just until your folks get back?"

And with one easy conversation, Alice had cleared our schedule for the battle.

My girlfriend was a genius.

Bella walked into my room at around three o'clock in the afternoon. She looked tired and drawn out, and basically collapsed on my bed. "You okay?" I asked her, from over where I was sitting on my desk, reading.

"I'm freaking out." She admitted, pulling a pillow over her head, muffling her voice somewhat.

"About next Saturday?"

"Yeah." A sob caught in her throat.

"Bella," I say, getting up and walking over to her, "what are you worried about? We're going to win. I know we are. Jasper knows we are, and he spent like a hundred years fighting newborn armies. We can trust his word." Bella sat up, and I could see her face was streaked with tears.

"Am I a horrible person?" she whispered, and I frowned, confused by her question and the direction the conversation had taken.

"Of course not!"

"I don't want him to be in the fight." She whispered, looking dejected and ashamed. "I don't want Edward fighting the newborns. I just can't take it!" I chew on my lip, thoughtfully.

"You know, you've got a point." I tell her, and she looks up at me, confused.

"What?"

"Victoria's not going to be with the newborns during the Battle, Alice's vision told us as much. Chances are, she's going to be looking for you. She knows Edward will stash you away somewhere, and ultimately the army is a distraction. It's you she's after. And we're going to let her find you." I explain, "Except you won't be there, I'll be there. But… seeing you without Edward, that would set off alarm bells. She would never believe it; she'd know it was some kind of trap." I muse.

"So we need him with you." Bella says, her face looking equal parts guilty and relieved. Relieved because Edward wouldn't be fighting the newborns, and guilty because she was relieved.

"I feel like such a horrible, selfish person," she murmured, looking down at her lap, visibly at war with her own emotions. I sigh and pull her over into my arms.

"Bella, I can't even imagine what this is like for you. You're the only person who can't defend herself, and that's the truth. You have to rely on everyone else to fight for you. And that's the hardest thing in the world to do. But it's not your fault. And it won't be like that forever. I promise."

Bella sobbed into my t-shirt, and I held her close. "I love you. This is not your fault." I murmured, over and over, hoping that eventually she'd believe it.

Edward wasn't too pleased about this, when I brought it up, later that night when the Cullens were training together in the clearing that night.

"You want me to what?" He asked, incredulously, looking at me like I'd just grown an extra head.

"I want you to sit out of the fight against the newborns." I repeat. When his expression doesn't change from disbelieving, I sigh. "Do you really think that Victoria would believe you left Bella by herself?" I demand, "that would set off warning bells like you wouldn't believe. You need to be with me at the clearing." When he looked like he was going to continue to protest, I turned to Jasper. "Do you think seven of you will be able to take out approximately ten newborns?" Jasper didn't even have to think about it.

"Yes. Easily."

"So there's no reason why Edward should be there."

"That's right." Jasper shrugs, "we can manage without him. There's no logical reason why he absolutely has to be there."

"You want me to just sit out?" Edward repeated, his face upset. Bella stepped towards him and gently grasped his hand in her own.

"Please?" She whispered, looking up at him with teary eyes. I sighed, and lowered my Occlumency shields, replaying the conversation Bella and I had had earlier that day for Edward to see. His head tilted towards me surprised as he heard my thoughts for the first time, but he took it in his stride.

"If that's what you want." He told Bella, his face soft.

"It's not just what she wants," I interject, not especially liking his phrasing, "it's what's necessary." Edward nods, his expression having settled on acceptance.

Happy that was over, I wandered to the edge of the clearing and looked up at the sky, pondering whether or not I should go for a fly.

The sweet scent of peaches wafted towards me, notifying me that Alice was standing next to me. I turn to her and am surprised to see her scowl. "What's the matter?" I ask her.

"Edward is such a grouch when he doesn't get his way- do you know what it's going to be like living with him for the next few months?" she groaned, pulling a face.

"You're welcome at my place whenever you want." I tell her, "besides," I add, with a wink, "Charlie's not home much and Bella's always over at your place."

Alice grins, and licks her lips. "On second thoughts, it was a wonderful idea." I laugh, and wrap my arm around her waist. "What are you thinking about?" she asked, leaning her head against me.

"Flying." I tell her, honestly. When she looks confused, I give her a small smile, "have I mentioned I can turn into a bird?"

"What?" Emmett has blurred over to my side in a second, looking gleeful. I roll my eyes.

"So much for a private conversation. Next time remind me to put up a silencing charm." I tell Alice, before an idea strikes me. I pull my wand out of my pocket and point it at Alice, murmuring the featherweight charm. She shivers slightly as the spell washes over her.

"What was that?" she asks, looking down at her arms.

"Forget that!" Emmett whines, "I want to see her turn into a bird!"

"I'm getting to that you daft baboon." I groan, handing Alice my wand. She accepts it, gingerly.

"What am I supposed to do with this?"

"Can you hold it for a second?" I ask her, before closing my eyes, breathing in deeply and holding my arms out beside me. I feel my body shift, and let out a screech of joy, as my powerful wings surge through the air, lifting me up off the ground.

The other vampires have all stopped their practicing to come over and watch, and I swoop down and grip Alice's arm with one of my feet, then flap my wings. Alice lets out a surprised shriek as I pull her up into the air, flying steadily. The featherweight charm basically means that she weighs… well, as much as a feather, making it easy for me to carry her.

"Are you mad?" she laughs from below. I let out a loud caw, flapping my wings until we're so high off the ground, even my keen eyesight as an eagle can only pick out the Cullens as pinpricks.

"This is amazing!" she yells, over the sound of the wind. I let out a small squawk of agreement, then flatten my wings to my sides as I nose-dive towards the ground. Alice lets out a scream, grabbing onto my foot tightly, and I let out a shrieking caw of laughter as I pull up just before we hit the ground, then gently settle her down.

I land on the soft forest floor and close my eyes, concentrating a few seconds to shift back, before smiling. Everyone, bar Bella, is watching me with wide eyes. "That was fucking awesome!" Emmett breaks the awed silence.

"Language!" Esme says, smacking him lightly on the arm. Emmett gives her a sheepish look.

"Sorry mom."

"How could you pick me up?" Alice asks, as she blurs over to me and runs her hands up and down my arms, looking at me with amazement.

"Featherweight charm." I explain, wrapping my arms around her then lifting her up. She lets out a giggle, and I set her back down.

"That's really cool!"

"It is." I agree, before holding out my hand.

"Can I have my wand?" Alice looks sheepish.

"Um, Emmett took it." I turn to Emmett and raise an eyebrow.

"Fine," Emmett grumbles, "I pinched it."

"Can I have it back?" I ask, dryly.

"Sure!" he says, whipping it out of his pocket and brandishing it dangerously. Big mistake- wands don't like it when someone else uses them.

"Shi-p!" I catch myself just in time, leaping forwards as my wand lets out a stream of angry red sparks.

"Fuck!" Emmett swears, dropping it, and cradling his hand to his chest. "It burnt me!" I catch my wand and glare at Emmett, as Esme smacks his arm again for his language.

"Are you daft?"

"What? I didn't know it would do that!" He protested, a sheepish look on his face.

"Wands are dangerous," I groan, turning to Alice and flicking it at her, muttering the countercharm.

"That feels weird." Alice twitches, as a stream of blue light rises off her.

"You know, you've never told us what spells you can do." Emmett pouts, still holding his hand tightly.

"I wasn't joking about upside down, naked and green," I warn, "a very good friend of mine invented it."

"They sound cool," Emmett nods, "can I meet them?" It feels like I've been punched in the gut. Lately, things have been fantastic. I'm sleeping better, smiling, laughing and enjoying life. The War is no longer on the forefront of my mind.

I've actually been happy. I actually managed to... not forget, but move past.

And now, for the first time in what feels like weeks, I've been reminded again. Reminded of those I've lost. _Fred_...

"He's dead." I say, managing to keep my voice was cracking, though it is lower then normal.

"Sorry." Emmett apologizes, and Alice wraps an arm around me.

"You didn't know." I murmur, before turning to Bella. "Can we go back now? I'm tired."

"Sure." Bella nods, and she steps towards me, and grabs my hand. "See you later?" she asks Edward and he nods, blurring over and kissing her.

"Of course."

And then I disapparate us away.


	33. Chapter Thirty-One: Hermione's POV

**CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE:**

**Hermione's POV: **

The week leading up to the battle was strained and tension was running high. Even Charlie noticed it, and on Wednesday confronted Bella and I about it at dinnertime. "Things have been real tense lately. You two been fightin'?" he asked over fish and chips. Bella jolted in her seat, surprised.

"What? No! Why would you think that?" she blabbered, eyes wide. Charlie raised an eyebrow.

"Could you sound any less convincing if you tried?" Bella gave a nervous laugh, and looked down at her plate, a blush rising up on her cheeks. "Didn't think so." Charlie said, with a small smile. "Want to tell me what's going on?"

Bella looked at me, clearly without any ideas. "Bella and I are having some differences of opinion." I tell Charlie.

"About?"

"Girl stuff." Charlie scoffs at my answer.

"Trying to get out of answering the question by using the 'girl stuff' excuse?" Charlie asks, looking skeptical.

"Yes." I admit, with a smile.

"Okay, I'll let it slide." Charlie says, "but I want you both to know you can talk to me about anything, right?"

Bella immediately looked guilty, and I smiled at him. "I know Charlie. Thank you."

The rest of dinner passed in light conversation.

-

"Damnit, I hate needles." Bella muttered, wincing and glaring at the sharp needle piercing her vein.

"I'm sorry Bella." Carlisle apologized. Beside her, Edward was standing calmly.

"Are you sure this isn't bothering you?" Bella asked him, concern shining on her features, "I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

"I'm beyond that now. It doesn't bother that anymore." He said, calmly, and Bella frowned, watching him closely, as if looking for some sign of distress.

"How does it not bother you anymore?" she asks, finding no signs of what she was looking for. I agreed- Edward was breathing evenly, and didn't seem tense, despite the bead of blood that was welling around the place where the needle had pierced the vein in Bella's arm.

"I got over it." He shrugged. I eyed him incredulously, and Bella repeated my disbelief out loud.

"You got over it? How?" Edward pursed his lips, shooting me a quick glance, as he tried to find the right words to explain, and feeling uncomfortable about doing it in front of me.

"I lived through an entire twenty-four hours thinking you were dead," he said, finally, "that changed the way I look at a lot of things."

"It changed the way I smell to you?" Bella asks, looking confused. I don't blame her- I am too.

"Not at all," Edward admits, "but... have experienced the way it feels to think I've lost you... my reactions have changed. My entire being shies away from any course that could inspire that kind of pain again."

"Huh." Bella said, a somewhat shy smile on her face as she looked up at Edward. I looked the other way, resisting the urge to roll my eyes, letting them have their moment. I was just as love-sick about Alice, I reminded myself. I had to stop judging them when I acted the same way.

... well, I had to stop judging them where they could see it.

"Done." Carlisle announces, easing the needle out of Bella's arm, and pressing a cotton bud against the tiny pinprick. "Don't lift anything heavy or use it for any strenuous activity for a few hours." He advises Bella, as he tapes the cotton bud into place.

"Okay." Bella agrees, and Edward helps her stand up as she sways slightly.

"Let's go, love." He smiles, and they leave the room. This time I don't try to hide my eye roll, and Carlisle chuckles.

"We'll do the transfusion around a day and a half before the battle." He says, "That gives it the most opportune time to mix with your blood, but the scent still stay strong.

-

"You know, we've never talked about what we're going to do... after." Alice speaks up, as she braids my hair.

"After?" I frown, lazing outside in the rare sunlight, enjoying soaking up the warm rays. Beside me, Alice is sparkling like a diamond, looking even more radiant then usual.

With all the stress of the approaching Battle, Alice and I decided to steal a few hours away, and made our way to a nice secluded part of the forest, where we could just enjoy each other's company- and by that I didn't mean that we were planning to have sex, just that we wanted some privacy.

"Mm. After the Battle. We've never talked about what we're going to do." Alice says, and I close my eyes, pressing away the cloud of darkness threatening to rear up inside me.

After the Battle. The way she worded it... it felt like the conversations I'd have with Harry and Ron, inside the tent, as we hid and planned, day after day. 'What do you think you'll do after the final battle?' Every time our answers would change. Harry said he wanted to play Quidditch professionally, then he said he wanted to run some kind of shop, some kind of business, then he moved on to wanting to be a Healer. Ron always spoke about being a Keeper, maybe helping out at Fred and George's place.

And I spoke about maybe going into the Ministry, wanting to change different laws such as the Department of Magical Creatures ones, or teaching at Hogwarts, or working to find ways to introduce different muggle inventions to the Wizarding world.

The thing was, although we never said it out loud, we never expected we'd ever get the chance to do any of these things. It was a game we played somewhat akin to what you'd buy if you won the lottery. We all expected that we wouldn't make it through the War. It was the sad truth, something we didn't talk about, but had all accepted.

And now, as Alice talked about after, it brought back the reality of the situation. This was a Battle to the death. All it would take was one slip-up, and then I could lose her, lose the one thing that really made me feel like living since the War was over, and I lost my purpose.

A chill seeped into my bones, despite sun's warm rays, and I turned around in Alice's arms and gripped her shoulders, tight. She opened her mouth, surprised by my actions, most likely to ask what was wrong, then her eyes met mine, and she faltered.

A part of me wondered what she saw that made her freeze. Was it the darkness, the desperation, the fear?

"Stay with me," I pleaded, holding her tight, feeling tears well in my eyes, "stay with me, promise!"

Alice pulled me closer, against her chest, and rocked back and forth gently, as the tears spilled over. "It's okay, I'll never leave you." She promised, her voice gentle, soothing. "I love you, Hermione, I love you so, so much."

"During the Battle. Fight with me, beside me." I say, burying my face in the crook of her neck, inhaling deeply. "I can't lose you, not when I just got you. I've lost too much."

"Of course I'll stay with you, sweetie." She breathed, her cool breath brushing against my ear, "I'll never leave you. I want to stay with you forever."

"Then that's what we should do. After." I tell her, lifting my head up, so I can look her in the eyes.

"What?" she asked, confusion clouding her golden eyes.

"Bond." I tell her, and she frowns, confused.

"I don't understand."

"It's the Wizarding equivalent of..." I pause, trying to find the right words to explain, "well, the realization you feel when you look in the eyes of your mate. The feeling of when you first saw me, multiplied ten times. You're my other half, I'm your other half. The binding ceremony binds our two halves together, joining us in our magic, mind and soul. It's a promise of forever. And you are my forever."

"And you want to do that?" Alice asked, softly.

"I want you to feel how much I love you. I want to be yours." I whisper, "you mean everything to me. Why wait when we know we're perfect for each other?"

"Then I want to do it." Alice says, firmly, "how do we do it?" I instantly feel heat rush to my cheeks, and I chew on my lip, giving her an embarrassed look.

"Well... the spell has to be performed by a minister, and it's most typically performed at weddings." A bright, cheeky smile crosses Alice's face.

"Why, Miss Granger-Swan, are you asking for my hand in marriage?" she teases. I grin back at her.

"It depends."

"Depends on what?" she asks.

"Depends on what your answer would be."

"And if my answer would be a resounding yes?"

"Then I'd get down on one knee."

"And if I said no?"

"I'd die of embarrassment then run away and live the rest of my life as a hermit on some mountain somewhere."

Alice laughed, her eyes shining. "In that case, I better say yes."

"Yes, you should." I agree, cupping her face in my hands and kissing her, softly.

Alice's tongue slipped into my mouth and mine eagerly met hers. She shifted me in her lap so that her leg slipped in between mine and, without much thought, I gently grinded myself against her jean-clad thigh. She moaned into my mouth and did the same to me. I growled at her.

She pulled back, surprised. "Did you just growl at me?"

"Um, yeah." I said breathlessly, blushing slightly.

"That was really hot." She said, her blazing eyes boring into mine. I grabbed her hair and pulled her lips back to mine. Our kiss held passion, love and adoration. Feeling her lips against mine made me feel like the most loved person in the world.

"That is a yes, right?" I ask, breathlessly, as I break away for oxygen. Alice hums, her tongue sliding across my collarbone as her hand slides up under my top. I let out a gasp as her fingers brush against my flushed skin, teasing me with little butterfly touches.

"Oh it's definitely a yes." She agreed, nibbling my throat gently, "if I'd known you'd be this open to marriage, I'd have asked you months ago. Plus Bella's reaction to the idea of marriage may or may not have caused me to assume you'd react in a similar way."

"Witches and wizards tend to marry younger." I explain, "most of my classmates are already married, or at least engaged. Oh, and in case you've forgotten, we only started dating a few months ago." I remind her, "people don't usually marry after only dating for a few weeks."

"People usually don't," she agrees, "but I'm a vampire. And ever since I first laid eyes on you, I wanted to be with you for the rest of my life." She grins as a moan escapes me when her clever fingers find their way under my skirt.

"True. You just had to wait for me to catch up." I pant, biting back a loud moan.

"And you took an annoyingly long time."

"Well excuse me!" I try to huff indignantly, the effect ruined by the sharp gasp that escaped as cold, slender fingers slid inside me. "You know, for someone who's never done this before, you're pretty exceptional at it!" I moan, clinging to her tightly as her hand moves.

"I learned from the best." She hums, kissing my cheek.

"I am amazing." I smirk, before my eyes almost roll up in my head as her fingers hit all the right spots, moving at a speed no human, or witch for that matter, could achieve. This was probably the fastest I'd ever reached my climax, a part of me noted, as a rush of pleasure washed over me. "Blimey, Al!" I cried out, arching in her arms.

"Never really thought I'd be into exhibitionism, but this is kinda really hot." Alice comments, as I tremble and shudder in her arms, pleasure rolling over me.

"Just wait until it's your turn, pixie!" I gasp, as I slump slightly in her arms. Alice pouts.

"You mean I have to wait?" 


	34. Chapter Thirty-Two: Bella's POV

**CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO:**

**Bella's POV:**

It was officially less then an hour before it was time for Edward and I to set the first trail and my nerves were fried. I was freaking out, and was glad of the fact that Edward and I still had the massive house to ourselves so I could try to calm down- the rest of the Cullens had gone on an overnight hunting trip, Hermione accompanying them, and still hadn't returned.

Having some alone time with Edward in the massive house over night had been a new experience, though frustrating as he made the boundaries annoyingly clear. Being alone in the house did give me an ample opportunity to bring up the wedding thing again, though, without any of the others overhearing.

I grimaced slightly, remembering our conversation, from where Edward and I were sitting in the foyer, awaiting the others' return: on one hand, the wedding was still on, but on the other, he had conceded to getting married in Vegas.

"Are you alright?" Edward spoke up from beside me, mistaking my grimace for nerves.

"No." I admit, "but I'm getting there."

"That's good," Edward said, with a crooked smile, "because the others are home." As he spoke, the front door opened and the Cullens and Hermione streamed in. There was a new businesslike atmosphere about them, and it pulled me back into the enormity of what was coming.

Alice seemed to be in an unusually bad mood, but as Hermione kept snickering at her, I chalked it up to her frustration with feeling normal, because her first comment to Edward was a complaint about working with the wolves.

"I think," she made a face as she used the uncertain term, "that you're going to want to pack for cold weather, Edward. I can't see exactly where you're going because you're taking off with that do-" Hermione cleared her throat loudly and Alice sighed, "taking off with _Jacob_ this afternoon, but the storm that's coming seems particularly bad in that general area." Edward nodded. "It's going to snow on the mountains." She warned him.

"Eww, snow." I muttered to myself, making Hermione laugh again. But seriously- it was June for crying out loud!

"Wear a jacket." Alice told me. Her voice was unfriendly, and that shocked me. I tried to read her face, but she turned away. I looked at Edward, then Hermione, and they were both smiling; whatever was bugging Alice seemed to amuse them.

Edward had more then enough camping equipment to choose from, but Hermione insisted that he not bother bringing anything but food. When he asked why she just smiled evasively and answered, "you'll see."

Alice wandered into the garage, Hermione by her side, to where Edward was shoving several packets of dehydrated food- grinning when I made a face at them- in a back pack. She sat down on the hood of her car, and watched us, silently. Hermione gave an exaggerated sigh as she leaned against the car next to her, causing Edward to snort again. I was starting to get annoyed at being the only one left out of the loop.

Edward, who had finished packing while I looked at Alice, lost, handed me his phone. "Why don't you call Jacob and tell him we'll be ready for him in an hour or so. He knows where to meet us." He suggested. I nodded, silently, and accepted the phone, quickly dialling the number I knew off by heart

Jacob wasn't home, but Billy promised to call around until he could find an available shifter to pass along the news. "Don't you or Hermione worry about Charlie, Bella," Billy assured me, as our conversation drew to a close, "I've got my part of this under control."

"Yeah. I know Charlie'll be fine." I didn't feel so confident about his son's safety, but I didn't add that.

"I wish I could be with the rest of them tomorrow," Billy chuckled, regretfully. "Being an old man is a hardship, Bella." I rolled my eyes- the urge to fight must be a defining characteristic of the Y-chromosome. They were all the same.

"Have fun with Charlie."

"Good luck Bella," he answered. "And please pass that on to that sister of yours, and... and to the, er, Cullens for me."

"I will," I promised, surprised by the gesture. As I gave the phone back to Edward, I saw that he and Alice were having some type of silent discussion, while Hermione watched on, an affectionate smile playing at the corners of her mouth. Alice was staring at Edward with a pleading expression, and he was frowning back.

"Billy said to tell you all good luck."

"That was generous of him," Edward said, turning away from Alice to smile at me. Alice took this moment to pounce.

"Bella, could I please speak to you without Edward?" She asked swiftly.

"You're about to make this harder then it needs to be, Alice." Edward warned her through his teeth. I watched Hermione bristle slightly at his tone, her hand creeping to her pocket, and I decided to intervene.

"Okay Alice." I tell her, and she shoots Edward a smug look.

"Run along now, Eddie boy." Edward sighed, giving me a rueful glance, before striding out of the garage. I turned to Alice, a touch worried, but she didn't look at me. Her bad mood obviously hadn't passed. "Bella?" She asked in a sad voice that made me automatically walk closer, and Hermione wrap an arm around her.

"What's wrong Alice?" I asked, chewing on my lip, concerned.

"Don't you love me?" She asked in that same sad tone.

"Of course I do," I replied instantly, my eyes widening, "you know that!"

"Then why do I see you sneaking off to Vegas to get married without inviting me?"

"Oh." I said, my cheeks going pink, "oh!" Seeing that I'd seriously hurt her feelings, I hurried to defend myself. "Alice, you know how I hate to make a big deal out of things." I tell her, "it was Edward's idea anyway."

"I don't care who's idea it was!" She exclaimed, loudly, "how could you do this to me? I expect that kind of thing from Edward, but not you! I love you like you're my own sister!"

"Alice, to me you are my sister." I tell her.

"Words!" She growled. I heard Hermione mutter something under her breath which sounded suspiciously like 'laying it on thick, much' and caused Alice to throw her a quick glare, before turning back to me, heartbreaking expression back in place. I sighed, defeated.

"Fine, you can come, but there won't be much to see." I tell her. She was still grimacing. "What?" I demanded.

"How much do you love me Bella?" She asked.

"Why?" I asked, cautiously. She looked at me with pleading eyes, her slim black eyebrows slanting up in the middle and pulling together, her lips trembling at the corners. It was a heartbreaking expression.

"Please, please, please," she whispered, "please Bella, please- if you really love me... let me do your wedding." Horror rushed through me and Hermione laughed at the expression on my face.

"I think you gave her an aneurysm, love." She says to Alice.

"Alice," I whimper, "no! No! Don't do this to me!"

"If you really truly love me, Bella." I folded my arms across my chest, helplessly.

"This is so unfair! And Edward kind of already used that one on me."

"Edward would like it better if you did this traditionally," Alice pounces on my weakness, "but he'll never tell you that, of course. And Esme- think what it would mean to her!" I moaned, burying my face in my hands.

"I'd rather face the newborns alone."

"I'll owe you for a decade?"

"You'll owe me for a century!" I realised my mistake at the same time as her eyes glowed and she sat up straight.

"Is that a yes?"

"No!" I exclaimed, fighting the losing battle.

"Come on Bella! You won't have to do anything except walk a few yards and repeat after the minister."

"Ugh! Ugh, ugh!"

"Please?" She started bouncing in place. "Please, please, please, please, please?"

"I'll never ever forgive you for this Alice!" I growl.

"Yay!" She squealed, clapping her hands together.

"That's not a yes!" I exclaim.

"Give up," Hermione advises me, am infuriating grin on her face, "you've already lost."

"Edward!" I yelled, "get over here!" Edward sighed, blurring over and wrapping his arms around me. "Vegas." He promised me.

"Not a chance!" Alice crowed, "Bella would never do that to me. You know, Edward, as a brother, you are sometimes a disappointment."

"Don't be mean," I grumbled at her, "he's trying to make me happy, unlike some people I know."

"I am trying to make you happy," Alice assured me, a bright, beaming smile still in place as she snuggled beside Hermione, "maybe not for fifty years, but definitely some day."

"I never thought I'd see the day I was willing to bet against you Alice, but its arrived." She laughed her silvery laugh.

"You'd better get going, Bella, Edward. You've got both traps to set up and you have to reach the campsite before the storm arrives." She frowned slightly, "don't forget your coat, Bella, it seems... unseasonably cold."

"I've already set up camp in the clearing," Hermione tells us, before striding forwards, pulling out her wand. She points it at me and mutters something under her breath that I don't catch. A pleasant heat rushes through my veins, and my body almost instantly warms to a perfect temperature. I blink, surprised. "Heating charm," Hermione tells me, "be safe, Bella."

"Have a nice night." Alice smiles, " oh, and by the way," she adds, "Hermione and I are getting married." She blurs away before I can say anything and I gape after her.

"If she's got her on wedding to plan, why does she want to plan mine?" I ask Hermione,in a somewhat squeaky voice. Hermione shrugs.

"What do you want me to say? It's Alice. She's a riddle wrapped in a mystery wrapped in an enigma that I've had sex with."

"Oh thanks." I mutter, pulling a face. Hermione grins at me.

"No problem."

It was twice as far to the clearing where the battle against the newborns would be held then usual; Edward took a long detour, making sure my scent would be nowhere near the path the newborns would be taking. Only a spectator, someone watching the battle from afar, would catch the trail. In other words, only Victoria.

Edward stopped a fair way from the clearing and placed me down on my feet. "Okay, just walk in a straight line touching as much as you can," he instructed me, "Alice gave me a clear picture of their path, and it won't take us long to intersect it."

Nodding, I wandered slowly into the woods, trailing my fingertips over anything close enough: the rough tree bark, the wet ferns, the moss covered rocks. It took me a while to reach the spot where the newborn army would be certain to cross my trail, with Edward having to lead the way, because the forest all looked alike to me.

We were almost at the edge of the clearing when I fell. I could see the wide opening up ahead and forgot to watch my step in my eagerness. I caught myself before my head bashed into the nearest tree, but a small branch snapped off under my left hand and gouged into my palm. "Oh fabulous." I groaned, examining the neat trails of blood, sliding down the sides of my palm and dripping on the ground, with a queasy stomach.

"Are you okay?" Edward asked, over beside me in a second. Remembering what he said about my blood not bothering him as much anymore, I relaxed and instead pressed my hand against a rock within my reach, careful not to breath in. "What are you doing?"

"Jasper will love this," I explain, "it'll really get them going." Edward gave me a crooked smile.

"I think you're going over board, love."

"I just want to be thorough." I tell him, "I want to do a good job."

"Well you have," Edward assures me, "the newborns will be frantic and Jasper will be very impressed with your dedication. Now let me treat your hand- you've gotten your cut dirty." I hold my hand out and allow him to clean the gash and smooth a bandage over my hand.

The wind tore through the clearing, lashing my hair around my face, and I knew that if it wasn't for Hermione's charm, I'd be freezing. "Are you okay? Do you need your coat?" Edward asks, his face worried.

"I'm fine," I tell him, "Hermione's good."

"Then lets go," he smiled, "you've done your part, now it's out of our hands. Let's go camping!"

"Yippee." I mutter.

Jacob is waiting for us at the opposite side of the clearing. He had his arms folded across his bare chest, a jacket clenched in his fist as he watched us. Edward's lips pulled down at the corners.

"There has to be a better way to do this. Why can't Hermione just apparate you?" He asks, pleadingly.

"Because there needs to be some trail, just not an obvious one. A disguised one." I repeat, what I've told him a hundred times before, ever since Jacob volunteered to be the shifter who carried me. "Victoria will be looking for a disguised trail of some sorts- any obvious trails will make her Gift kick in and tell her it's a trap." Edward sighs.

"There has to be a better way." He repeats.

"Too late now." I tell him. "Hi Jake," I greet my best friend when we get closer.

"Hi Bells." He smiles.

"Hello Jacob." Edward said.

"Where do I take her?" Jacob replies, ignoring the pleasantry. Edward pulled a map from his side pocket, unfolding it and pointing to the right spot.

"There. When you're about a mile away you'll cross my path and that will lead you straight to where we've set up camp. Do you need the map?"

"No thanks. I know this area pretty well." Jacob said, obviously having to work harder then Edward to keep his tone polite.

"I'll see you in a few hours." Edward said, giving me one last unhappy look, before melting into the shadows. As soon as he was gone, Jacob turned cheerful.

"What's up Bells?" He asked with a big grin.

"Same old, same old." I answered, rolling my eyes.

"Yep, bunch of vampires trying to kill you. The usual."

"The usual."

"Well," he said, pulling on his jacket to free his arms, "lets go." Making a face I stepped towards him, and he bent down, sweeping a hand behind my knees, knocking them out from under me, his other arm catching me before I hit the ground.

"Jerk." I sighed. He chuckled, already running through the trees at a brisk pace that no human, not even a fit one, could hope to keep up for long, especially burdened down by a hundred plus pounds. " let's get this over with."


	35. Chapter Thirty-Three: Bella's POV

**CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE:**

**Bella's POV:**

It was hot, being pressed up against Jacob, and I don't mean in the sexy/attractive way. I mean in the sweltering 'oh my god I'm actually sweating, how freaking high is his temperature?' way.

"How can you be wearing a jacket?" I groan, wiping my forehead with the back of my hand.

"I don't really feel it." Jacob shrugged.

"How come you even need one?" I grumble, wishing Hermione had cast a cooling charm on me instead.

"I don't. I brought this for you, just in case you weren't prepared." He looked at my jacket almost as if he was disappointed that I was. "I don't like the way the weather feels. It's making me edgy. Notice how we haven't seen any animals?"

"Um, not really." I tell him and he snorts.

"I guess you wouldn't. Your senses are too dull." I make a face but let that pass.

"Alice was worried about the storm too." I tell him instead. I'm impressed when he doesn't even make a face at the mention of her name. Instead he just looks thoughtful.

"It takes a lot to silence the forest this way. You sure picked a real hell of a night for a camping trip."

"It wasn't exactly my idea." I grumble.

The forest floor began to rise more and more steeply, though it didn't slow Jacob down. Instead he leapt easily from rock to rock, not seeming to need his hands at all. His perfect balance simultaneously freaked me out and reminded me of a mountain goat.

"So it's been a while since you came down to La Push," he comments.

"I've been busy." I tell him, "the whole army of newborn vampire thing has kind of been weighing down, plus graduation and… other things." Namely the wedding thing. Which I still kind of haven't told Jacob about.

Jacob is silent for a few minutes, before he speaks up again. "Bella… besides my apology, we never really spoke about… the other day. What happened." I stiffen in his arms.

Ah. The kiss. The declaration.

I didn't really want to have this conversation under the present conditions- him cradling me against his chest with his too-warm arms. Hell, I didn't really want to have this conversation _period_.

"Have you… have you thought about what I said? At all?" He asks, when I stay silent.

"A bit. But not in the way you're thinking." I tell him, my voice soft.

"A smart person looks at all sides of a decision." He tells me, now carefully avoiding my glance.

"I have." I tell him.

"Bella…" Jacob pauses, and sighs. "I think… I want you to be honest with me. Not defensive, not trying to protect my feelings, just completely and utterly honest. Do I have a chance?"

I close my eyes and feel a tear slide down my cheek. "I'm sorry." I whisper, because I am. I am sorry. "I love you, Jake, but I'm not in love with you." I add, in a voice that chokes slightly.

Jacob takes a deep, shuddering breath. "I'm not going to stop fighting for you Bella." He tells me.

"I know." I answer.

"I'm never going to give up."

"I know." I repeat.

There's a long pause, where I rest my head against Jake's chest and listen to his heartbeat, the steady thump, thump, thump.

"You're my best friend, Jake." I tell him, finally. "At least, you used to be. And sometimes you still are… times like this. When you let down your guard, throw away your prejudice and just… be _you_." He smiles down at me, the old smile that I loved.

"I'm always that, Bella. Even when I don't… behave as well as I should. Underneath, I'm always in here." I snort.

"I know that, Jake. Why else would I put up with all of your crap?" He laughs, the first true laugh I've heard for a while, and then his nose wrinkles.

"Urgh, we're not far now. I can smell him." He grumbles. I roll my eyes, then freeze, as I catch a glimpse of something above me.

"Oh my god." I whispered, looking up at the solid wall of purple-black cloud that was racing in from the west, blackening the forest as it came. "You better hurry, Jake," I say, looking away from the sky to shoot him a worried look, "you'll want to get home before it gets here."

"I'm not going home." He states, giving me an 'are you kidding?' look.

"Huh?" I ask. Jacob laughs at my confusion, which prompts me to make a face at him.

"I'm being you're two-way radio," he explains, "so that your sister and your lee- _vampires_ can keep in touch with the Pack." I frown, confused.

"I thought that was Leah's job." I say, talking about the previously arranged agreement that Leah would stay with us. Originally it was going to be Seth, but Leah refused to let him be involved in the fight with Victoria, without any wolf back-up, instead volunteering herself.

"Leah's going to take over tomorrow," Jacob explains, "she and Seth are spending the night with their mom."

"Oh," I say, feeling a pang of guilt. Should I have spent the night in Charlie's company? Just in case something went wrong?

"Bella, you worry too much." Jacob sighs, correctly interpreting my silence. I chew on my lip, and try to think of a way to change the subject.

"Edward told me something interesting the other day," I tell him, remembering a brief conversation we'd had, "about you." I clarified. Jacob bristled.

"It's probably a lie." I can't help my small smile at this.

"So you aren't second in command of the Pack?" I ask him, and he blinks, surprised.

"Oh. That. Yeah." I roll my eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I ask. He shrugs.

"It's not a big thing."

"I don't know," I muse, "it's kinda interesting. How does it even work?"

"Sam was the first, the oldest," Jacob explains, "it made sense for him to take charge." I frowned, confused.

"So shouldn't Jared or Paul be second, then? They were the next to change."

"It's kinda hard to explain," Jacob said, searching for the words he needed, "it's… it's more about lineage, you know? Real old-fashioned, huh? Why should it matter who your grandpa is?" I blinked, remembering something Jacob had told me, a long time ago, before either of us had known anything about werewolves.

"Didn't you say Ephraim Black was the last chief the Quileutes had?"

"Yeah, he was the Alpha." Jacob nodded, before his lips quirk into a smile. "You know, technically, Sam's the chief of the whole tribe now?" He laughed, and I couldn't help my smile at the thought of stick up his ass Sam being the chief of the Quileutes. "Crazy traditions, huh?"

"Uh huh," I agree, before a thought hits me, "hey, you said that it's all about lineage. Doesn't that mean you should be the alpha then?" Jake was quiet for a few seconds.

"I was supposed to be the Alpha." He says finally, quietly, meeting my confused gaze.

"Sam didn't want to step down?" I ask, pulling my eyebrows together. Jacob snorted.

"Hardly. I didn't want to step up."

"Why not?" I pressed. He frowned, uncomfortable with my questions. Tough luck buddy, your questions make me uncomfortable too, I think. _And_ you kissed me. Without my permission. Consider this revenge.

Plus I'm actually kind of curious now.

"I didn't want any of it, Bella," He finally said, "I didn't want anything to change. I didn't want to be some legendary chief. I didn't even want to be part of a pack of werewolves, let alone their leader!" He laughed, the sound bitter. "I wouldn't take it when Sam offered."

"I thought… I thought you were happier. That you were okay with this." I whispered.

Jacob smiled down at me, reassuringly, his expression softening. "It's not that bad, Bella. Exciting sometimes, like with this thing tomorrow. But sometimes… sometimes it sort of feels like being drafted into a war you never knew existed. There's no choice. It's so… final. But, I guess, in a way, I'm also glad. It had to be done, and I don't know if I could trust someone else to get it right. It's… it's better to make sure myself."

I look at him, feeling an unexpected wave of surprise, and a tiny bit of awe, for my friend. He was more grown-up then I'd ever given him credit for.

Before I could say anything, the wind shook more fiercely through the trees around us, almost pulling me right out of Jacob's arms. "Shit." Jacob swears, as the sharp sound of wood cracking echoed off the mountain. Though the light was vanishing as the grisly cloud covered the sky, I could still see the little white specks that fluttered past us.

Shit, I agreed. It was starting to snow.

Jake broke into a sprint, and it was only minutes later that he dashed around to the lee side of the stony peak. I easily noticed the small, shabby two-man tent nestled up against the sheltering face and Jake raised an eyebrow as we looked down at it. "That was the best Cullen could come up with?" he snorted.

"Actually, Hermione told us she'd set up." I frowned, before sighing. "Tent's a tent, I guess."

A second later, Edward exited the tent, having to crawl out on his hands and knees, and I was surprised to see how wide his eyes were. "Bella, come inside and have a look." He said, ignoring the fact Jacob was basically cradling me in his arms.

"Um, Edward, I don't think we'll all fit." I tell him, chewing my lip, and looking up at the sky which was now so dark it looked like nighttime. Without the heating charm, I shuddered to think about how cold I would be. "Especially with Alice and Hermione coming," I added, realizing that my sister would be joining us soon, "that's five, and you and Jake aren't exactly small…" Edward smiles at me.

"Just come have a look, love." Jacob makes a face at the pet-name, and carries me over, placing me down right next to the tent flap. In front of me, Edward crawls back into the tent, and I follow, bending down and ducking under the flap. My jaw instantly drops.

I had just walked into not a tent, but what looked like an old-fashioned, three-roomed flat, complete with a bathroom and kitchen. Even the temperature inside was pleasant, with a small fire crackling in the fireplace. "What on earth?" I gape, and Edward pulls me up, into his arms, laughing softly.

"It's truly remarkable, isn't it?"

"It's just unreal." I say, shaking my head back and forth in amazement. "Hey Jake! Come take a look!" I shout.

A second later, Jacob sticks his head under the flap, then his face gains a similarly shocked expression, and he steps the rest of the way in. "Holy shit!" He gapes.

"I know! Isn't it amazing!" I barely manage to refrain from girly screaming. The tent has managed to distract me from the situation, the whole 'army of newborn vampires' thing.

Jacob then wrinkles his nose slightly. "It smells like cats."

"I know, no matter how hard I try I can never get the smell out." Someone remarks from behind me. I let out a scream and spin around to see Hermione and Alice, walking out of the kitchen. I clutch my heart and stare at them, wide-eyed.

"Where you in there the whole time?" I squeak.

"Just got here." Hermione smiles, "so what do you think?"

"It's…" I shake my head in wonderment, unable to find words, and Jacob finishes for me.

"It's fucking crazy. Can I get one?" Hermione smiles at him.

"Believe me, this is nothing. I've been inside a tent that's actually a small palace, five stories high, several kitchens, bathrooms, a servant's quarters, living quarters…" Hermione trails off, a smile on her face. "I would have set up that one, but it's not exactly that… suitable, It's this massive, extravagant confection of striped silk."

"Damn," Jacob says, shaking his head, "just damn."

Hermione laughs, and wraps an arm around an enamored Alice's waist. "So, who wants to cook dinner?" she asks.

/-/-/-/-/-

I'm still curled up next to Edward on one of the bunks, wrapped up in a thick comforter that provides a barrier between his icy cold temperature and my skin, when Hermione walks over to me.

I can tell it's morning, even inside the tent the sunlight is bright enough to hurt my eyes. But I haven't moved, haven't wanted to. I've kept my eyes closed, my face burrowed into Edward's shoulder, to try and put off the inevitable- my removal.

"It's time to go, Bella." Hermione says, quietly. A wave of desperation ripped through me, and I turn my head so I'm facing her.

"Please," I whispered, feeling moisture gather in my eyes, "can I stay?"

"You can't." Hermione says, her voice soft, "I'm sorry Bella."

"Then can I have a few moments with Edward… private ones?" I ask, a hollow feeling in my stomach. Hermione hesitates then nods.

"Alice and I will wait outside with Jacob. I'll put up a silencing charm." She says. I wait a few moments then Edward gently runs his hand through my hair.

"She's gone, love." I instantly crushed my mouth to his snow-white lips. He kissed me back, with just as much passion, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, holding him tight to me.

The kiss somehow grew, until I was panting and wet, and I wanted him- desperately. My body was making my intentions clear, and inevitably Edward's hands moved to restrain me. I'd have felt hurt if his face didn't show so much need, the same desperate, all-consuming need burning inside me.

"Bella… perhaps this isn't the best moment for that." He suggests.

"Why not?" I asked, a sad smile curving my lips, as I snuggled closer to him, pressing my face into his shoulder. Sensing the wild desperation was gone, for now at least, Edward released my hands, and we wrapped our arms around each other, holding the other tight.

"Firstly, because it is cold." Edward said, kissing the tip of my nose.

"Wrong," I tell him, "first because you are bizarrely moral for a vampire." He chuckles.

"All right, I'll give you that. The cold is second. The third… we will try, Bella. I'll make good to my promise. Just not now, in a tent, with Alice, Hermione and Jacob waiting outside. And fourth-"

"This is a very long list." I muttered, and he laughed.

"Yes it is. But fourth, you need to go." I sigh, and hug Edward as tight as I can.

"I love you." I tell him, and he hugs me back.

"Not as much as I love you."

"Impossible." I smile, even as tears begin running down my cheeks.

Edward helps me pick out my clothes, then turns his back while I dress, like the gentleman he is. Then, holding his hand, I walk outside.

Well, I crawl outside. The tent's exit/entrance is not very big.

Hermione and Alice are talking, softly, to each other, while Jacob stands a little way off, looking at the tent with a wistful expression that brightens when he sees me.

Hermione notices him perking up, and turns around to me. "It's time to go." She says, gently, and I nod, my breath catching in my throat, stepping forwards to grasp her hand.

"Bye guys. Be safe." I whisper, and then the awful feeling of being squeezed through something tiny washes over me, and it's just as bad as the time Hermione apparated us to The Burrow for the wedding.

The second my feet hit the sand I'm throwing up everywhere, uncontrollably. Hermione lets me get my breath, rubbing my back gently and vanishing the piles of sick. "Shh, you're okay, you're okay." She says, and eventually my stomach settles enough that I can look up.

"That… that was horrible." I mumble, and she nods.

"International apparation is nastier." She agrees. Sighing, I look around, and see that we're the edge of a small cliff, overlooking the sea. On the edge of the cliff is a small cottage, it's walls embedded with shells and whitewashed.

"It's pretty." I comment, and Hermione looks at it with an indecipherable expression.

"It is."

She leads the way up the winding, sandy path, and knocks on the door. A familiar young man with shaggy black hair and green eyes opens it. "Hey Harry." Hermione smiles, as he lets us in.

"Hey 'Mione, hey Bella," he greets us. I guess he's here to see Hermione before the battle, I muse. Huh.

Fleur then glides over to meet us, looking as stunning as ever.

"'ello Bella, 'ermione." She greets us, kissing first Hermione then me twice on both cheeks.

"Hi Fleur." Hermione greets her friend. I nod, my throat too choked up to speak.

I don't want to be here. I don't want to be here. I want to be at the fight, with the others. With my family. Not sitting here, hidden out of the way.

"Have fun 'Mione." Harry tells my sister, and I watch as Hermione presses something into Harry's hand, then kisses his cheek. I narrow my eyes at her, but she just smiles back at me, a slightly strained smile, but a smile none-the-less. "Stop worrying so much." She tells me, before she twists on the spot.

And then she's gone.


End file.
